# Quickstart

Papiers is a workspace for reading, researching, and working with AI. Your documents, highlights, notes, and conversations stay connected, so you can ask questions in context and draw on what you’ve already read.

This guide covers the basic workflow.

## 1. Add to your library

Press `⌘N` or click **+** to add something to your library.

Drop in a PDF, paste a link, or import a folder of papers. You can also bring in your existing library from [Zotero](https://wiki.papiers.ai/docs/zotero), sync your [X bookmarks](https://wiki.papiers.ai/docs/x-bookmarks), or save directly from the browser with the [Chrome extension](https://wiki.papiers.ai/docs/chrome-extension).

## 2. Read

Open anything in your library to start reading.

The Workspace keeps the document together with your conversations, highlights, notes, and related information. Open several documents in tabs, or put two side by side when you want to compare them.

## 3. Highlight and annotate

Select any passage to highlight it or add an annotation.

Highlights stay anchored to the original passage and become searchable across your library. Annotations let you attach your own thoughts to them. For longer writing, open a note beside the document.

## 4. Ask Papiers

Select a passage, or capture a figure, table, or equation, and ask about it directly. Papiers attaches the source to your question and cites the material it uses in its answer.

Choose the model you want from the model picker. Papiers gives you access to a range of frontier and open models, so you can switch models as you work.

Turn on **Search your library** when you want a conversation to draw on other documents, highlights, notes, and past conversations.

## 5. Search everything you’ve read

Press `⌘⇧P` to search across your documents, highlights, notes, equations, and conversations.

Search for the exact words, or describe the idea you remember. You can also ask a question and have Papiers answer from your library.

Next, learn how the [Library and Workspace](https://wiki.papiers.ai/docs/workspace) fit together.

Source: https://wiki.papiers.ai/docs/quickstart