How do I add a topic folder?

Goal

Add a folder of your own on one topic, which Nova searches on this Mac and uses in conversation.

Before you start

• A folder of documents or PDFs on one topic.
• An embedding provider for the index. By default that is OpenAI. See How do I set up AI access?

Steps

1. Settings, the Topic collections page. It is in the sidebar under Knowledge & memory, in Simple and in Expert.
2. Card Topic collections. With no collection it says Your own knowledge folders. Under New collection, enter a name. If the field stays empty, Nova uses the folder name.
3. Under Trigger words, enter the words that make Nova search this folder. Separate several with a comma or put one per line.
4. Choose folder and create opens the macOS folder picker. Then it says “Collection created. Index running.” Nova reads the folder and builds the index on this Mac.
5. The collection now has a block of its own. The Status line shows ready, plus the number of documents and chunks. Add subfolder limits the index to single subfolders. With no selection Nova reads the whole folder.
6. Visible when the address contains and Visible when the title contains: Nova also uses the collection when the address or the title of the front window contains that word.
7. Changes to name, description, words, and checkboxes apply only after Save. Collection active turns the collection off without removing it. Update index on file changes keeps the index current on its own. Rebuild index reads the folder again.
8. Ask the avatar a question with a trigger word. Nova answers from the hits in the folder.

Example

Collection house rules with the trigger words house rules, laundry room. Then at the avatar: “What do the house rules say about the laundry room on Sunday?”

Common problems

• Without an index there are no hits. If Status does not say ready, or says Documents: 0, press Rebuild index. Answers come only from the hits.
• At most 20 collections. Nova reads up to 400 files per collection. The index skips images.
• By default OpenAI computes the index. Privacy Lock blocks cloud embeddings. You choose the provider in Expert under Files & knowledge, the Paperless tab, section Embeddings, menu Embedding provider.
• Remove asks again: “Really remove collection …? The folder on disk stays.” Nova deletes no files.
• Topic collections are not the notes. Notes and text files are in How do I let Nova search my documents?