> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.groundforge.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Media

> Process audio, images, and documents in the external Agent process.

Channels can carry audio, images, and documents. The Channel receives and verifies the attachment. The external Agent SDK prepares the content before invoking the Agent.

This keeps media-model credentials with the Agent instead of the Channel.

## Custom handlers

```python theme={null}
init_groundforge(
    agent=agent,
    media={
        "audio_transcriber": transcribe_audio,
        "document_extractor": extract_document,
        "image_handler": analyse_image,
    },
    # connection values omitted
)
```

A handler receives a bounded attachment and returns text or another small value that can be added to the Agent request.

## Provider configuration

```python theme={null}
media={
    "audio": {
        "provider": "openai",
        "model": "gpt-4o-mini-transcribe",
    }
}
```

Here, `provider` means the media model used by the Agent process. It is not the Channel provider.

## Safe handling

* verify the Channel request before downloading media;
* enforce file-size and content limits;
* do not log raw media bytes;
* keep media credentials off the Channel configuration;
* return bounded extracted text or descriptions;
* treat untrusted documents and archives carefully.

See [Security](/help/security).

## Example

Use the media handlers with the external weather Agent only after the Channel has verified and normalized the incoming attachment. Keep provider credentials in the Channel and model-processing credentials with the Agent.


## Related topics

- [Security](/help/security.md)
- [Configuration](/sdk/configuration.md)