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Quick Start Guide

Start using Sutram in just a few minutes. This guide shows you how to create your first project, organize content, add files and links, and collaborate with your team.

Step 1: Your First Project

If you signed up on your own

When you create a new account, Sutram automatically creates a project called My First Project (the name is translated into your language). You can start using it right away — no setup required.

To customize it, go to Settings → Projects, where you can:

  • Rename the project

  • Change the project color (used for visual identification throughout the interface)

  • Adjust other project settings (depending on your plan)

If you were invited to a project

If someone invited you to a project, you can start working immediately after accepting the invitation. The project will appear on your dashboard.

You can also create your own project at any time in Settings → Projects.

Step 2: Organize Your Content

In Sutram, a project's content is organized into a hierarchical folder structure — similar to the folders on your computer. Before adding files, it's a good idea to plan how you'll organize them.

What is content?

Content items are everything you store in your project. This includes:

  • Files — Documents (PDF, Word, Excel), images, CAD/BIM models, compressed archives, and much more

  • Video links — References to videos hosted on YouTube, Vimeo, or other platforms

  • Audio links — References to podcasts, music, or audio hosted on Spotify, SoundCloud, etc.

  • Web links — References to external pages relevant to your project

  • Markdown documents — Formatted text documents created directly in Sutram's built-in editor

All content items live inside folders. We recommend organizing them by theme, department, phase, or any structure that makes sense for your team — rather than placing them at the root of the project.

Creating folders

  1. Click the Content card on the project home page
  2. Click New folder in the toolbar
  3. Type the folder name and confirm
  4. Create subfolders inside folders to build your hierarchy

Browse the folder structure by clicking on folders, and use the breadcrumb navigation at the top to return to previous levels. You can move items between folders using the Move option in the dropdown menu (⋮).

Example structures:

  • A construction project: Blueprints / Reports / Photos / Contracts

  • A marketing team: Campaigns / Brand Assets / Analytics / Templates

  • A medical practice: Patients / Exams / Reports

Step 3: Add Content

Once your folders are set up, start adding content:

Upload files

  1. Navigate to the target folder
  2. Click Add file or drag and drop files directly onto the page
  3. Select one or more files from your computer
  4. Wait for the upload to complete — you'll see a progress indicator for each file

Sutram supports a wide variety of formats, including PDF, Office documents, images, CAD/BIM models (DWG, RVT, IFC), compressed archives, and much more. File size limits depend on your plan.

Add links

Use the dropdown menu next to "Add file" to add other types of content:

  • Video link — Paste a URL from YouTube, Vimeo, or another video

  • Audio link — Paste a URL from Spotify, SoundCloud, or another audio source

  • Web link — Paste any web page URL as a reference

Create a Markdown document

Click New markdown file to create a formatted text document directly in Sutram using the built-in visual editor (requires the Pro plan).

Step 4: Invite Your Team

Collaboration is at the heart of Sutram. To invite team members:

  1. Go to your project's Members page

  2. Click Invite

  3. Enter the person's email address

  4. Choose their role:

    • Member — Can create and edit content

    • Viewer — Read-only access

    • Admin — Can manage members and settings (requires the Max plan)

  5. Select the invitation language

  6. Click Send Invitation

The person will receive an email with a link to join. If they don't yet have a Sutram account, one will be created automatically when they accept the invitation.

For more details about roles and permissions, see the Projects and Members guide.

Chat with Your Team

Every project includes a built-in chat for real-time communication:

  1. Click the Chat card on the project home page
  2. Type your message and press Enter to send
  3. All members (including Viewers) can read and send messages

Messages show the date/time and the names of the senders. The chat preserves history, so new members can see previous conversations.

Step 5: View Content

Click any content item to open it in Sutram's built-in viewer. You can view PDFs, images, Office documents, Markdown files, video and audio links, and even CAD/BIM models — all without downloading or installing additional software.

The viewer works directly in your browser and supports dozens of file formats. For the full list, see the Content Viewing System reference guide.

Going Further

Once you're comfortable with the basics, Sutram offers more advanced features:

  • Document Comments — Leave feedback anchored to specific positions in PDFs, images, Office files, Markdown documents, and CAD/BIM models

  • File Versioning — Enable check-out/check-in workflows to ensure that only one person edits a file at a time, with a complete revision history

  • Markdown Editor — A visual (WYSIWYG) editor for creating and editing formatted text documents with headings, tables, images, and code blocks

  • REST API — Automate workflows and integrate with external tools using JSON endpoints

  • MCP Server — Connect AI assistants like Claude and Gemini to interact directly with your project's content

  • Records and Metadata — Structure data with categories, typed fields, and automatically generated slugs, instead of loose files (Pro plan or higher)

  • Wiki and Knowledge Graph — Connect concepts and documents through [[slug]] mentions, backlinks, and typed relations — the structured memory that powers AI answers

  • File Links — Reference the same file in multiple places without duplicating it (e.g., a report that appears organized both by date and by patient)

  • Document Classes and Governance — Formal approval workflows with states, roles, and an audit trail for every transition (Max plan)

The features with their own guide are detailed in the Documentation section. The most recent ones — Records, Wiki, File Links, and Governance — can already be operated via the API and AI assistants, and are documented in the Sutram MCP Server Guide reference guide.

Understanding Your Plan

All new accounts start on the Basic plan (free). You can monitor your usage and upgrade your plan at any time in Settings → Subscription. For a complete comparison of plans and features, see the Account Management guide.

Need help? Fill out the contact form in the footer of the Sutram website.

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