Can my audience upload files to Paperform forms, and how do I make that happen?

Yes, you can easily add a File Upload or Image Upload field to your form. Ask your audience to upload an image or other types of files by using the respective fields in the form editor.

File Upload fields accept all file types by default, but you can choose to restrict them to specific file types if you prefer.

Screenshot of a File Upload question on a form, with a PDF file uploaded.

Image Upload fields only allow image files to be uploaded, but they are otherwise the same as File Upload questions. Accepted image formats are JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, and RAW. If you need to restrict this to specific image format(s), use a File Upload question instead.

Screenshot of a Image Upload question on a form, with an image being uploaded. The image appears pgreyed out, with a progress bar and the text "UPLOADING (31%)" overlayed.

To add a File or an Image Upload field to your form:

  1. Create a new question and select "File Upload" or "Image Upload" as the type. For a shortcut, simply type /upload into a blank line of the editor.
  2. Give the field a title ("What is your question?") and optionally add some help text.
  3. Select the configuration panel to the right to configure the question if needed. From this menu, you can restrict file types (File Upload only), allow multiple files (File or Image Upload), and manage other settings.

We support taking photos with Image and File Upload fields. Mobile devices will automatically show the option to either upload or take a new photo.

Gotchas

  • The size limit for each uploaded file depends on your Paperform plan.
  • Files uploaded by respondents are stored privately by default and are only accessible via secure, signed URLs. Once generated, these URLs can be opened by anyone with the link for 7 days. After 7 days, only logged-in users in your Paperform team with access to the file can open or download it, unless the team owner has enabled public file access.