Import a document

Use document import when the source document should become a canvas review space. Instead of sending a file and collecting feedback somewhere else, ALLO creates a canvas from the uploaded document so people can add notes, comments, arrows, decisions, and follow-up work around it.

This workflow is best for reviewing documents, presentations, spreadsheets, handouts, plans, briefs, and files that need discussion. It is not a replacement for editing the original file in its source app.

If the document is already sitting on an existing canvas as an uploaded file object, use Convert an uploaded document to a canvas instead. That path creates a connected sub-canvas from the selected file without uploading it again.

The short version

Open New Canvas, choose Import document, and select or drop a supported file. After ALLO accepts your file, it opens the new canvas right away. ALLO automatically prepares Word, PowerPoint, Excel, HWP, and HWPX files for canvas pages. You can watch blank page slots turn into the finished document pages as the import runs.

Availability and permissions

What document import creates

Import turns each page or slide of the document into canvas content, so reviewers annotate around the original layout instead of trading feedback in email. The document becomes something people can point at.

Behind the scenes, ALLO converts Word, PowerPoint, Excel, HWP, and HWPX files to PDF first, then builds the canvas from that PDF. Treat the result as a snapshot for review, not a live source document.

After import, use normal canvas tools: comments, text, sticky notes, arrows, shapes, pages, sharing, and export where available. If you need to edit formulas, speaker notes, tracked changes, or source-document layout details, edit the original file in its source app and import the updated version when ready.

Supported document types

The upload flow supports PDF plus common Office formats and Hancom HWP and HWPX documents. This includes files such as:

The file picker is the most reliable source for current acceptance. If a file does not appear selectable or is rejected after drag-and-drop, export it to PDF and try again.

Start an import

Open New Canvas and choose Import document in the left sidebar. Select a supported file from your device or drag it into the upload area.

During upload, ALLO shows the exact upload percentage. Once your file is accepted, it opens the destination canvas immediately. ALLO automatically prepares supported documents, then adds each completed page to that canvas.

The destination may show its default blank page briefly while ALLO prepares the document. It then shows a fixed white slot for every document page at the final page size. Page 1 appears first as soon as it is ready, and the rest of the document pages follow in order. The progress message, such as 61 / 180, means those 61 pages are already visible in the destination canvas, not merely waiting to be added.

Stay in the destination canvas while the import runs. Opening that canvas is an automatic part of the flow. If you try to move somewhere else afterward, ALLO asks whether to cancel the import. Closing or reloading the browser tab also shows the browser's leave warning because ALLO is still adding pages in that tab. Wait for the completion message before sharing the result or starting another import.

If you started from a project, confirm the new canvas appears in the right place. If you started from a standalone create flow, rename the canvas so people can identify the document later.

Convert an existing uploaded document

Import and conversion solve different starting points. Import document starts from a file picker or create flow. Convert to canvas starts from a document object that is already on the canvas.

Select one supported uploaded document object, open the element menu, and choose Convert to canvas. ALLO creates a connected sub-canvas next to the source document and keeps the original file object on the parent canvas. Use this when review began around the file and you now need a deeper workspace for comments, notes, decisions, and follow-up work.

The action appears only for one supported uploaded document and only when you have permission to create the child canvas. It is not available for guests, view-only or comment-only access, multiple selections, unsupported file types, link-only embeds, or files that are still processing.

Prepare the source file

Before importing, clean the document. Remove private notes, skipped slides, outdated comments, personal data, internal-only pages, and unrelated attachments. Import makes the file part of a shared canvas workflow, so anything in the source can become visible to people who can access the resulting canvas.

Use a readable export. For presentations, check slide size and remove unused backup slides if they do not belong in the review. For spreadsheets, decide whether people need the whole workbook or a PDF export of the relevant sheets. For documents, use headings and page breaks that make review easier.

If the file is password-protected, locked, damaged, unusually large, or generated by a tool that exports nonstandard structure, create a clean PDF version and import that instead.

Review the imported canvas

After conversion, inspect the result before sharing it broadly. Check:

1. Page order and whether all expected pages or slides appear.
2. Whether text, images, tables, and charts are readable.
3. Whether any source content should be removed before inviting collaborators.
4. Whether the canvas name matches the imported file and review purpose.
5. Whether comments should be page-level, object-level, or placed near visible callouts.
6. Whether export or print will be needed after review.

ALLO opens the imported canvas before the page work is complete so you can watch it become usable. Check the page rail and visible page backgrounds as the progress message advances, then wait for the completion message before asking reviewers to comment. For the focused file viewer after content is on the canvas, see Preview canvas objects.

Add review structure

Imported documents are most useful when the canvas adds context around the file. Add a short review prompt, decision area, owner notes, or status section. Use arrows and shapes to point to important regions. Use comments for exact questions and decisions.

For a legal or policy review, add a page or section for open questions, approved changes, and final decision. For a slide review, add comment prompts near the slides that need feedback. For a spreadsheet review, call out the relevant sheet or chart instead of asking people to inspect everything.

If the converted document is only one piece of the work, add supporting files, links, screenshots, or sub-canvases around it. See Work with images, files, and spreadsheets for file-level preview and download actions after content is on the canvas.

Collaboration and access

The imported canvas follows normal canvas sharing. Uploading a file does not automatically give every intended reviewer access. Share the resulting canvas or the project it belongs to.

Choose access based on the review job:

Be careful with sensitive documents. Only upload files you are allowed to store and share in the workspace. Do not include passwords, private credentials, unnecessary personal data, or internal-only material in a document just because it is convenient to import the whole file.

Export and follow-up

If the imported review needs to leave ALLO after comments are resolved, use page-canvas export or print from the header menu when available. Export depends on the resulting canvas type and page structure. See Use the canvas header menu.

If the review leads to a revised source file, update the original file outside ALLO, then import the new version or place it next to the old one with clear labels. Do not let two imported versions sit side by side without a visible "current" label.

If the imported content becomes a repeatable review format, consider turning the cleaned canvas structure into a template after removing private material. See Use canvas templates.

Examples

For a design presentation, import the slide deck, add a first page with review goals, leave comments on specific slides, and add a final decision area for approved changes.

A contract or policy review starts the same way: import the PDF, add labels for sections that need legal, finance, or operations review, and use comments for exact questions. Keep the source file outside the canvas as the editable legal document.

Spreadsheet-based plans review better as a PDF export of the relevant sheets, which gives reviewers a stable view. Add sticky notes for risks and decisions instead of asking every reviewer to edit the source workbook.

Import problems

The file is rejected immediately. Check the file type, extension, device size limit, and 300-page limit. Export a smaller PDF or split the document and try again.

Upload starts but does not finish. Check the network connection, file size, and whether you still have permission to create or edit the target canvas.

Conversion fails or stops. Stay in the destination canvas while it runs and do not reload the browser. If it still fails, try a cleaner export of the file. Remove passwords, split very large documents, flatten unusual content, or export the source document to PDF before importing.

The converted result is hard to read. Check the source export quality. A low-resolution scan, tiny spreadsheet print area, or slide deck with overflow content will not become clearer just because it is on a canvas.

Collaborators cannot open the imported canvas. Check sharing. The import may have succeeded, but the resulting canvas still needs the right access.

The wrong document was imported. If you started from New Canvas, delete that separate canvas or create another one from the correct file. If you replaced pages in an existing canvas, stop editing and restore the pre-import checkpoint from Version History. Use Undo and redo for recent object mistakes, but do not rely on undo to reverse the full upload and conversion job.