With just a few weeks since its presentation, the Chinese artificial intelligence platform DeepSeek has established itself as a versatile tool, among other things, for the analysis and processing of documents.
One of its most notable features is the ability to upload files, allowing users to efficiently interact with text, images and data.
In this article we take a closer look at how this feature works, supported formats, technical limits, model capabilities, and its restrictions compared to multimodal tools like Deepseek Janus.
Supported formats and technical requirements
DeepSeek accepts a wide variety of file formats, designed to meet both personal and professional needs.
- Text documents in PDF, DOCX, TXT formats. Ideal for reports, articles or books that require summaries or the extraction of key information.
- Spreadsheets in CSV and XLSX format. This is useful for analyzing structured data, such as financial tables or records. Although the capacities are limited, as we will see.
- Images with text in PNG and JPG formats. In this case, OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is applied to extract text from scanned images or photographs of physical documents.
Technical limits on file uploads to Deepseek
For any document or image, the maximum size allowed is 100 MB. Up to 50 documents or images can be uploaded simultaneously.
In the case of images, it is essential that the text present in the images is legible and aligned correctly to ensure accurate extraction.
Model Capabilities: OCR and Text Analysis
The file upload feature goes beyond simple storage, as DeepSeek uses its artificial intelligence engine to process and analyze the content of documents. Among its main skills are:
Text extraction using OCR
Convert scanned images or PDFs into editable text, trying to preserve the original format as much as possible.
Recommendation: Use images with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi and avoid handwritten text or complex layouts (for example, multiple columns).
Contextual analysis
It allows you to answer questions based on the content of the document, such as summarizing reports, explaining technical concepts, or identifying key data.
Programming and math assistance
It is capable of analyzing source code or solving equations present in uploaded files.
Example of use: A user can upload a photo of a contract in JPG format, extract the text using OCR, and ask DeepSeek to identify important clauses or critical dates.
Limitations: What DeepSeek Can’t Do
Despite its powerful text handling, DeepSeek presents some restrictions in the analysis of non-textual elements:
Analysis of graphics or images:
Deepseek does not currently interpret diagrams, infographics, or visual content beyond OCR-extracted text. For example, it is not able to analyze a bar graph in a PDF to generate statistical conclusions.
Object or scene recognition
Unlike multimodal models like Janus, which integrate computer vision, DeepSeek focuses exclusively on text processing and cannot describe images or recognize objects in photographs.
Audio or video processing
The tool does not support sound or video files, being limited only to static formats.
These limitations highlight that DeepSeek is a tool specialized in text management, while multimodal analysis requires additional integrations or the use of specialized platforms.
Privacy considerations and recommendations
To optimize the use of the file upload function, it is recommended to keep the following in mind:
- File optimization: Reduce image size with tools like TinyPNG to ensure compliance with the 100 MB limit.
- Data security: Avoid uploading confidential information without applying encryption measures, since DeepSeek temporarily stores the files on its servers.
- Preliminary tests: Perform tests with simple documents before processing complex files to identify and correct possible formatting errors.
Useful for adding context, although with limitations
The file upload feature in DeepSeek offers fast and efficient access to text analysis, making it ideal for students, professionals and developers.
Its ability to apply OCR and contextually process information makes it a valuable tool, although its focus on text processing implies certain limitations compared to multimodal solutions.
Understanding these capabilities and restrictions allows users to strategically integrate DeepSeek into their workflows, complementing it with other tools as needed.
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