# Import documents, web pages, and source notes

> Bring a PDF, DOCX, public web page, or pasted text into a project without losing sight of rights, extraction limits, or structure.

Source: https://aiebookgenerator.ai/help/importing

Updated: 2026-09-07

Imports give the project material to work from. They do not prove that the source is accurate, complete, current, or yours to publish.

## Supported imports: DOCX, PDF, public URL, and text

Open a project, go to Author Lab, then choose Sources. You can keep imported material in the source library or turn structured material into editable manuscript chapters.

Current import support and practical limits

| Input | What happens | Important limit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DOCX | Text and headings are extracted for a saved source or chapter import. | The file must be 10 MB or smaller. Review lists, tables, footnotes, and complex layout after extraction. |
| PDF | Selectable text is extracted for a saved source or chapter import. | The file must be 10 MB or smaller. A scanned image-only PDF needs OCR before import. |
| Public URL | Readable text is fetched from a publicly reachable web page. | Private, sign-in-only, local, and blocked network addresses are not import sources. |
| Pasted text | Notes, research, interview material, or draft sections are saved as a source or imported into chapters. | Give the source a useful title and paste at least enough text to identify its purpose. |

> **Not a supported file upload:** EPUB, legacy DOC, TXT, Markdown, image files, and private cloud links are not current file import formats. Convert the material to DOCX or a text-based PDF, or paste the relevant text.

## Save a source or import it as chapters

Choose Keep as a source when the material should inform drafting, research, or verification. Choose Import as chapters when the document already contains a manuscript structure you want to edit directly.

A source can support the book without appearing word for word in the manuscript. That separation makes it easier to replace weak evidence and avoid accidental copying.

- **Source library:** Best for research notes, interviews, examples, reports, and background reading.
- **Import as chapters:** Best for an existing draft with useful headings and sections.
- **Full-book notes:** Best for concise facts, recurring examples, or constraints that should guide every generated chapter.

## Prepare a document for text extraction

Use real heading styles in DOCX instead of making every title large and bold. Remove duplicate headers, footers, navigation, and boilerplate when they add noise. For PDFs, confirm that you can select and copy a paragraph before uploading.

For a web page, use the canonical public page rather than a search result, preview link, or share link that needs a sign-in.

> **If an import is empty or incomplete:** Try copying one paragraph from the PDF. If only the image selects, use OCR first. If a web page requires sign-in, export your own material as DOCX or paste the relevant text. Split large documents into files of 10 MB or less and compare the first, middle, and last section after import.

## Check and repair imported content

Check titles, chapter boundaries, omitted text, broken words, tables, quotations, and source links. Extraction favors useful text over visual fidelity, so a document that looks correct can still need cleanup after import.

- **Confirm structure:** Rename or reorder imported chapters before generating new material.
- **Record provenance:** Keep the source title and original URL when a claim may need verification.
- **Remove private data:** Delete personal or confidential material that the project does not need.
- **Check permission:** Import only material you are allowed to process and publish from.

## Related help

- [Getting started with your first book project](https://aiebookgenerator.ai/help/getting-started/page.md)
- [Edit safely with revisions, history, and project tools](https://aiebookgenerator.ai/help/editor-version-history/page.md)
- [Export PDF, EPUB, DOCX, or a KDP preparation package](https://aiebookgenerator.ai/help/exporting-kdp/page.md)