File Upload: Ask for a Document
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Let someone attach a PDF or an image to their answer — a budget, a certificate, a photo of the damage. PDF, JPEG and PNG, up to 10 MB each, on the web link and in the mobile app.
How do I let someone attach a document to a form?
Add a File Upload question. The person filling the form can attach PDF, JPEG or PNG files of up to 10 MB each. You choose how many files the question accepts and whether it is required, and a form can have up to 10 File Upload questions on every form type.
A File Upload question asks the person filling your form to attach a document to their answer. It is what you want for the things that cannot be typed into a box — a project budget, an insurance certificate, a signed letter, a photo of the damage being claimed for.
What can be attached
- PDF, JPEG and PNG. Nothing else is accepted — not Word, not Excel, not ZIP. The file is checked by its actual contents, not its name, so renaming a spreadsheet to .pdf will not get it through.
- Up to 10 MB per file. A scanned multi-page PDF is usually well under this; a photo straight off a modern phone usually is too.
- You choose how many files the question accepts, and whether answering it is required.
- A form can have up to 10 File Upload questions, on every form type. Adding an eleventh shows "You can add a maximum of 10 File Upload questions per Form."
The short list is deliberate. Office documents and archives are the formats most often used to carry something harmful, and a form you share publicly is open to anyone with the link. If you need a format that is not on the list, ask for a PDF export of it.
The file uploads as soon as it is chosen
When someone picks a file it starts uploading immediately, rather than waiting for them to press Submit. That is why a long form with several documents does not end in a single slow upload that can fail and lose everything. You will see a short progress indicator on the question, and the Next and Submit buttons wait until it has finished — so a respondent cannot accidentally move on and leave the document behind.
If somebody starts a form, attaches a file and then abandons it without submitting, that file is not kept indefinitely: unattached uploads are deleted automatically after 48 hours. If they instead save their progress (see Save and Resume), the file is kept with their saved answers for the full 30 days.
In the mobile app
In the Survtapp mobile app, a File Upload question lets the agent take a photo, pick one from the photo library, or choose a document stored on the device. The same rules apply as on the web link: PDF, JPEG and PNG only, up to 10 MB each.
Choosing a document needs the current version of the app. An agent on an older version can still attach a photo but not a PDF, so ask your team to update the app from the App Store or Google Play.
Where the files go, and who can see them
- Attachments appear on the response alongside the answers, and are included when you export it.
- An uploaded file counts towards your account’s storage allowance, the same way a photo or a signed waiver does. Deleting the response releases it.
- A file is kept for as long as the response it belongs to is kept, under your plan’s retention period, and is removed with it. A deletion request removes it too.
- ⚠️ A stored attachment is reachable by its web address, and that address is not guessable — but it is also not behind a login. Treat the link to an attachment the way you would treat the document itself, and do not paste it anywhere public.
See Question Types & Form Components Reference for the full list of question types, Plan Limits & Credits for how storage is counted, and Save and Resume for letting someone finish a long form later.
Frequently asked questions
How many File Upload questions can one form have?
Ten. The limit applies to surveys, checklists and waivers alike, and it is separate from the limit of five photo and signature captures. A form that had more than ten before the limit was introduced keeps them and can still be edited; you just cannot add another until it is below ten.
Can respondents upload a Word or Excel file?
No. Only PDF, JPEG and PNG are accepted. Ask for a PDF export of the document instead.
What is the maximum file size?
10 MB per file.
Can my agents attach a PDF from the mobile app?
Yes, in the current version of the app: the File Upload question offers the camera, the photo library and documents on the device. An older version of the app can attach photos only, so make sure your agents have updated.