> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.metaforms.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.metaforms.ai/open-end-cleaning-and-coding/introduction-to-oe-coding/step-1-project-setup-and-file-upload.md).
# Step 1: Project Setup & File Upload
## Step 1: Project Setup
This step connects your questionnaire, sets your research context, and prepares the workspace.
1. **Link your questionnaire**
* Your questionnaire must be uploaded in the Design tab first
* Click Link & Parse Questionnaire to connect it
* The system uses AI to extract all questions from the document
* Wait for parsing to complete — you'll see a green badge showing "N questions parsed"
▎ Important: Once you proceed to Upload & Map and analyze mappings, the questionnaire becomes locked. You cannot change or unlink it after that point. To use a different questionnaire, you'll need to start a new session.
2. **Add research context (optional)**
* Type a research objective directly in the text box, OR
* If a client brief exists in your Design tab, it's used automatically (shown as a green badge)
* This context helps the AI generate more relevant code frames
3. **Click Continue**
* The Continue button is enabled once your questionnaire is successfully parsed
* Clicking Continue saves your setup and advances to Step 2
---
# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.
## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.
Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:
```
GET https://help.metaforms.ai/open-end-cleaning-and-coding/introduction-to-oe-coding/step-1-project-setup-and-file-upload.md?ask=&goal=
```
`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.
Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.