Smart Updates, Smoother Workflows—How Storytell is Improving your Experience

The engineering team has refined file handling, improved AI response transparency, and enhanced system performance while preparing for seamless external integrations. Updates from the February 14th engineering demo make it easier to reference files, interpret AI-generated answers, and process documents more efficiently.

Smarter file suggestions for faster workflow

Storytell now suggests files or Collections when you type “@” in SmartChat™ removing the previous three-character requirement for the search to begin. Andi, our Sr. Frontend Engineer, led this improvement, optimizing performance by keeping a record of recently modified or uploaded assets. You can now see faster and more relevant file recommendations. Each file also displays its Collection for better organization.

AI responses with structured reasoning

To improve transparency in AI-generated responses, Andi developed a structured format that organizes answers into four collapsible sections:

• Reasoning – Breaks down the steps used to generate the response.
• Gotchas – Highlights knowledge gaps or potential limitations.
• Answer – Presents the core response at the top.
• Consider – Provides additional insights.

This approach makes responses more trustworthy and interpretable, helping users understand why Storytell arrived at a specific answer. The team is continuing to refine the instructions given to AI models to ensure consistent and structured responses across all queries.

More control over chat history

Users can now delete chat threads directly from an individual chat’s settings, the collection view, or the chat list. Andi implemented this feature based on frequent user requests, giving users more flexibility in managing past conversations.

Faster file processing with Kubernetes

Alex, DevOps Engineer at Storytell, led the migration of Storytell’s file processing system to Kubernetes, significantly improving performance and scalability. Previously, the system would slow down when processing large volumes of files, similar to a highway getting clogged with too many cars. The Kubernetes upgrade acts like a wider, more efficient road system, allowing file processing to scale automatically based on demand.

As a result, users now experience:

• Faster file processing – Documents, spreadsheets, and other files load and process more quickly.
• Better reliability – The system can handle more users without slowdowns.
• Optimized resource use – This upgrade also reduces costs, allowing us to invest in future improvements.

AI model upgrades for faster, more accurate results

Alex also refined Storytell’s AI model selection to improve response speed and accuracy. The system now prioritizes faster models for general queries while automatically switching to more advanced models when needed. This ensures:

• Quicker responses – Less time waiting for AI-generated insights.
• More reliable outputs – Improved accuracy in answers, reducing inconsistencies.
• Better data handling – AI now focuses on approved sources, reducing confusion from mixed public and private data.

Streamlined collection sharing

Previously, new users had to manually accept Shared Collection invitations after signing up. Aaron, our Principal Software Engineer, improved this process by enabling automatic invitation acceptance when a user’s email matches a pending invite. He also updated the shared collections display, replacing system-generated IDs with actual email addresses, making it easier to identify collaborators. These improvements reduce onboarding friction and simplify collaboration across teams.

Building Storytell’s first external integration

Shelby, our Principal Software Engineer, has been leading development on our Google Drive integration, a foundational step toward bringing Storytell into users' workflows outside the core UI. Google requires third-party apps to be registered for secure authorization, and this initial work establishes the infrastructure for automated data ingestion from Google Docs and Drive.

This integration is part of a larger effort to automate external data connections, making it possible for Storytell to work seamlessly with other tools without requiring users to manually upload files.

These updates streamline workflows, improve performance, and lay the foundation for deeper integrations with external platforms.

Become an Alpha or Beta Tester

Get early access to features as we release them by becoming an alpha or beta tester. Here's how to sign up: https://web.storytell.ai/early-access