# File uploads
Collect attachments from respondents: allowed types, size limits, and how files are stored and previewed.

> File upload is a Pro feature. On the free plan the block shows in the insert menu but stays locked, and a form published on Pro stops offering its file questions if the workspace leaves Pro.

A file upload question lets respondents attach files to their submission: a CV with a job application, a photo with a support request, a signed PDF with a registration.

## Question settings

- Max files: how many files one respondent can attach to this question, from 1 to 10.
- Allowed files: restrict the question to specific categories, like images only for a photo field or documents only for a CV field. By default every category is allowed.

| Category | Extensions |
| --- | --- |
| Images | jpg, jpeg, png, webp, gif, heic |
| Documents | pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf, md, odt |
| Spreadsheets | xlsx, csv, ods |
| Presentations | pptx, odp |
| Audio | mp3, m4a, wav, ogg |
| Video | mp4, mov, webm |
| Archives | zip |

Each file can be up to 10 MB. Files that could run code in a browser (SVG, HTML, executables) are never accepted, and every upload is checked on the server against its actual content, not just its name.

## Where files live

Uploads are encrypted with Formbear’s application key before they reach storage, and stored in the EU (see data residency). They are decrypted only when you preview or download them from Results, never served publicly.

Files follow their response: delete a response and its files are deleted from storage too, and the same happens when you delete all responses, the form, or the workspace. Files from abandoned form sessions that never became a submission are cleaned up automatically within about a day. Sustained heavy storage use falls under the Fair Use Policy.

## In your results

File answers show as the uploaded filenames in the response table. Hover a file for two actions: Preview (images, audio, and video open in a dialog; PDFs open in a new tab) and Download. CSV exports list the filenames. See responses.

Source: https://formbear.app/docs/file-uploads