Import PDF and Office files

Use PDF/Office 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.

Availability and permissions

What PDF/Office import creates

PDF/Office import creates a canvas from a document. The resulting canvas is meant for review, annotation, discussion, and handoff. It gives you a shared workspace around the source material.

The conversion pipeline is document-first. Office files are accepted because ALLO can convert supported Office-style files through the same PDF-backed canvas creation path before building the canvas view. That means the result should be treated as a converted review artifact, not as a live Word, PowerPoint, or Excel document editor.

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 and HWP document families. 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 the canvas creation flow and choose Import PDF/Office or the equivalent PDF/Office creation card. You can select a file from your device or drag a supported file into the upload area.

During upload, ALLO shows progress. Keep the upload surface open until the file is accepted. If you close the upload before completion, the import may be cancelled or left without a file to process.

After upload, ALLO creates or updates the target canvas and starts document conversion. You may see progress as pages are converted. When conversion finishes, the canvas opens or updates with the imported content.

If you started from a project or task, 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. PDF/Office import starts from a file picker or create flow. Convert to canvas starts from a document object that is already on the canvas.

Select one uploaded PDF or Office file 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.

Do not assume import is finished just because the canvas exists. Wait for conversion progress to finish and for previews to render 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.

For a contract or policy review, 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.

For a spreadsheet-based plan, import a PDF export of the relevant sheets when reviewers need a stable view. Add sticky notes for risks and decisions instead of asking every reviewer to edit the source workbook.

Import problems

If the file is rejected immediately, check the file type and extension. Export to PDF and try again.

If 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.

If conversion fails, try a cleaner export of the file. Remove passwords, split very large documents, flatten unusual content, or export Office files to PDF before importing.

If 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.

If collaborators cannot open the imported canvas, check sharing. The import may have succeeded, but the resulting canvas still needs the right access.

If the wrong document was imported, create a new canvas from the correct file or delete the imported content if you have permission. Use Undo and redo for recent object mistakes, but do not rely on undo to reverse the full upload and conversion job.