When you upload files—such as PDFs, Word documents, text files, or images—into the Notes and Context section of an encounter, Wavo extracts the text and uses it as additional context for drafting your clinical note. The AI Assistant can also reference your uploaded attachments when answering questions during the session. Once your note is finalized, you review it and export or copy it to your EMR as usual.

Uploading supporting documents gives the AI scribe richer context to work with:

The Assistant can use attachments on the current encounter. Attachments from earlier visits are not included.

To add previous visit notes to a new note, turn on “Use previous visits context” in Notes and Context.

Wavo supports the following file types for upload:

Click the upload icon (an upward arrow) at the top-right of the Notes and Context section. A file picker will open. Select one or more files from your device.

Drag a file from your computer and drop it directly onto the Notes and Context area.

Once uploaded, you'll see a confirmation message: "File uploaded successfully. Text extraction is in progress..."

Each attachment appears as a tag in the Notes and Context section with a status indicator:

Spinning icon: The file is being processed and text is being extracted.

Green checkmark: Text extraction is complete. The content is ready for use.

Red "Failed" label: Extraction encountered an issue. Try re-uploading the file.

Click on any attachment tag to open a preview drawer on the right side of the screen:

When you generate or regenerate a clinical note, Wavo's AI includes the extracted text from your completed attachments as additional context—alongside the encounter transcript (if available) and any notes you typed in Notes and Context. For example:

Uploaded lab results may be referenced when drafting assessment and plan sections.

Imaging reports can provide additional background for the generated note.

Referral letters add context that the AI can draw from when drafting the clinical narrative.

You don't need to record or transcribe a session to generate a note. If you have supporting documents and typed notes in the Notes and Context section, you can click "Generate Note from Context" directly—Wavo's AI will draft a clinical note based on the attachments and notes alone. This is useful for scenarios like summarizing outside records, drafting referral letters from uploaded documents, or creating notes from pre-written context.

Generate Note from Context vs templates:

Generate Note from Context – drafts a note using your typed notes, completed attachments, and any available encounter transcript.

Template-based generation or regeneration – uses your template for structure, and still includes completed attachments plus transcript and Notes and Context text.

In both cases, completed attachments are available as source material. Templates shape how the note is organized; they do not replace uploaded documents, and you do not need a special template setting to “point to” uploaded files.

Want the same encounter in a different template?

Upload your documents once in Notes and Context, wait for the green checkmark, then use the plus (+) button near the document tabs to create another document with a different template. The new tab uses the same encounter context—including completed attachments—while formatting the output differently. See Creating Multiple Documents from One Encounter in Wavo Health for the full walkthrough.

As with all AI-generated content, always review the final note for accuracy and completeness before using it in your clinical workflow.

The AI Assistant can answer questions about your uploaded documents. After uploading attachments to an encounter:

Open the AI Assistant: Click the "AI Assistant" tab on the right sidebar of the encounter.

Ask a Question: Type a question related to your uploaded documents, such as:

"What were the key findings in the lab report?"

"Summarize the referral letter from the specialist."

"What medications are listed in the patient's records?"

"Are there any abnormal values in the uploaded test results?"

Get an Answer: The AI Assistant references the extracted text from your attachments alongside the encounter transcription and notes to help answer your question. Always verify AI-generated responses against the original documents.

For more on using the AI Assistant, see our Using the Wavo Health AI Assistant to Gain Insights article.

The assistant can answer questions about my document, but my note does not include that information: Confirm the file shows a green checkmark, then regenerate the note after the upload completed. Make sure you are regenerating the note in the same encounter where the file was uploaded. If the note was created before the file finished processing, regenerate it.

Do I need to link my template to the uploaded documents?: No. Templates control structure only. Upload the documents in Notes and Context for the encounter; completed files are used automatically during note generation. To create another note format from the same files, use the plus (+) button to add a new document tab with a different template.

Can I use documents without a recording?: Yes. You can generate a note from typed Notes and Context text and completed attachments even if there is no recording.

File Not Uploading?: Ensure your file is a supported type (PDF, DOCX, TXT, PNG, JPEG, GIF, or WebP) and is under 200 MB. If issues persist, try refreshing the page.

Text Extraction Failed?: Some files with complex layouts or low-resolution scans may not extract fully. If extraction fails, try re-uploading the file. For scanned documents, ensure the image quality is clear and readable. You can always preview the original attachment to verify the extracted content.

Can't See Attachments?: Make sure the Notes tab is open on the right side of the encounter screen. If it's not visible, try resizing your browser window.

Upload Button Disabled?: The upload button is temporarily disabled while recording is active, another upload is in progress, or the note is being saved. Wait for the current operation to complete.

Need Help?: Email us at [email protected] or book a demo for personalized assistance.

Document attachments are on the website. You cannot add PDFs or images to an encounter in the native mobile app.

Ready to give Wavo's AI scribe more context? Log in at https://secure.wavo.health/en/sign-in, open an encounter, and try uploading a supporting document to the Notes and Context section. For a visual guide, watch our demo video: Watch the Wavo Health Demo.