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Accept file attachments with form submissions

Use the file attachment field to enable respondents to upload and submit files. While there is no maximum file size limit, it's possible that files over 5 GB in size may not upload successfully.

In this article:

Add a file attachment field

  1. Browse to the form you wish to edit.
  2. Go to Edit > Edit formsbuilder page.
  3. Under Add a text box, select File attachment field.
  4. In the Field name box, enter the name you want to appear as the column heading in the form submissions table – for example:

    Attachments
  5. In the Label box, enter the instruction to show the respondent on the form – for example:

    Attach your supporting documentation
  6. Specify the maximum number of files respondents can attach.
  7. When the Accept file types box is empty, respondents can attach documents with any file name extension. To restrict the types of files, enter the accepted file name extensions separated by commas – for example:

    doc, docx, pdf, txt, rtf, odt, ott, oth, odm
    Tip: when you restrict file types, we recommend that you say what files types you do accept in the Label box, so the respondent knows of the restriction before they try to upload a file.
  8. Choose whether to display the Label above the file attachment field or at the left. The Label displays at the left by default.
  9. To make the file attachment field mandatory – the respondent must attach a file before they can submit the form – select Required.
  10. To show the file attachment field only to editors of submissions – and hide it from respondents – select Only visible to editors.
  11. Optionally, to help identify submitted attachments, choose to prefix the respondent's file name automatically with:

    • University ID, usercode or department (for signed-in Warwick members) – if known, the department's short title is used; otherwise, the department code
    • Form submission date
    • Any text you specify
  12. Select Save.
  13. Select Done at the top right to view the published form. You should see the Attach file button in the form.

Include file attachments with submission notifications

Note: email is not a secure medium. By default, submission notifications do not include the submission data or attachments – notifications contain a link to view the submission data in SiteBuilder. Respondents' files are available to download from the form submissions table. To include respondents' files with submission notification emails, enable this setting in the form properties.
  1. Browse to the form.
  2. Go to Edit > Edit formsbuilder page.
  3. Under Modify the form, select Form properties.
  4. Under the section How should we tell you about completed forms, select Include submission data in email. When the warning message appears, select Yes.
  5. Select Include files attached to the form.
  6. Select Publish at the top right.
  7. Select Done to return to the published form.

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