platform-guideline 5 linked patterns checked
OpenAI File search guide
Documents file-search annotations and optional included search results that can be used to connect generated answer text to source files.
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What this source can teach
Use this source to understand a platform convention and the setting it was designed for.
- Start with the original. Open the source and find the guidance or example relevant to your task.
- Trace the connection. Use the claim notes below to see how this site applies the source to specific patterns.
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Pattern Decisions This Source Supports
| Pattern | Supported decision | Required contract | Claim note |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI answer without sources | Flag this anti-pattern when an AI answer makes evidence-dependent claims and provides no source link, citation marker, grounding panel, source scope, or verification action. | Evidence-dependent answers must expose whether sources were searched, retrieved, used, unavailable, permission-limited, failed, or not required. | Supports annotations and search result inclusion for file-backed generated output. |
| Citation display | Choose citation display when the main user need is verifying a generated or summarized claim against the source that supports it. | Each citation marker opens or focuses the source record that supports the adjacent claim. | Supports file-search annotations and source-result inclusion. |
| Editable AI output | Choose editable AI output when the primary object is generated output after creation and users need to revise, review, save, copy, or apply that output. | The generated draft, user edits, tracked changes, source mappings, citations, review status, and final output state are modeled as distinct data rather than one mutable text blob. | Supports claim annotations and citations that need validation after output edits. |
| Source grounding display | Choose source grounding display when users need answer-wide evidence coverage, source scope, retrieved-versus-used source status, or unsupported-claim visibility. | The grounding display names the source scope that was available for this answer, not just sources the user might expect. | Supports retrieved file annotations and included search results. |
| Tool-use visibility | Choose tool-use visibility when users need to inspect exact tool names, purposes, inputs, outputs, permissions, side effects, failures, or redactions. | Each tool-use item identifies one tool call or tool-call attempt with stable call ID, run ID, step ID, tool name, status, timestamp, and permission scope. | Supports file-search tool outputs and annotations that may need source-aware inspection. |
Comparisons supported by this source
- AI answer without sources vs source grounding display vs citation display vs confidence / uncertainty display vs streaming response vs correction feedback
Supports annotations and included search results for file-backed output.
- Citation display vs chat interface vs streaming response vs related links vs tooltip
Supports annotations that connect generated text to files returned by retrieval.
- Editable AI output vs inline edit vs prompt box vs streaming response vs citation display vs source grounding display
Supports claim annotations and citation handling for generated output.
- Source grounding display vs citation display vs chat interface vs streaming response vs related links
Supports including search results and annotations that connect outputs to files.
- Tool-use visibility vs agent progress trace vs source grounding display vs citation display vs activity log vs human approval gate
Supports distinguishing file-search tool output inspection from source grounding coverage.
Evidence Role
This source is treated as platform-guideline evidence. Its value comes from the specific claims and setting described above.
Publisher: OpenAI. Last checked: .