Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Agency.

General

Is Agency really private?

Yes. Agency processes everything locally on your device. No data is sent to external servers unless you explicitly enable encrypted cloud sync.

What file types are supported?

Agency follows the backend matrix (backend/ingestion/processing.py): PDFs; Office/ODF docs; spreadsheets; presentations; text/markup/code; images with OCR; emails (.eml/.msg) and email archives (.pst/.mbox); calendars; EPUB; archives (zip/tar/tgz/7z/csv.gz/seq.gz); and Windows EVTX logs.

Does Agency need the cloud?

No. The app is fully functional offline. Cloud sync, share links, and BYOS/App-Managed storage are optional and stay end-to-end encrypted.

What happens if I forget my passphrase?

Your passphrase cannot be recovered. It's used to derive encryption keys for your vault. Without it, your data cannot be decrypted. We recommend using a password manager.

Can I use Agency offline?

Yes. Agency is designed for offline-first operation. All features work without an internet connection.

Technical

How much storage do I need?

Agency requires about 1GB for the all application components. Vault size depends on your documents plus index overhead (typically 10–20% of document size).

What platforms are supported?

macOS 15+ (Apple Silicon), Windows 11+ (64-bit) and Ubuntu Linux 22+.

What AI models does Agency use?

Agency uses local models for embeddings and chat. We support various model sizes to balance capability and hardware requirements.

How big are the model downloads?

The app shows estimated download size before you confirm. Choose smaller models for constrained devices or larger models for deeper answers; you can switch later without re-ingesting data.

Can I export my data?

Yes. You can export your entire vault or selected documents at any time. Your data is never locked in.

Do I need a subscription?

Core local features are free. Cloud sync, share links, and BYOS/App-Managed storage require an active subscription.

How do privacy and compliance modes differ?

Privacy Mode keeps org admins out of team keys; Compliance Mode escrows keys so admins can audit. Switch modes in org settings based on your governance needs.

Troubleshooting

Why is processing slow?

Large documents or many images require more processing time. Ensure you meet the recommended system requirements for best performance.

How do I reset Agency?

You can delete your vault folder to start fresh. This will delete all indexed data (but not your original files).