Files and links let a conversation carry the material people need to understand the work, not just describe it. Chat keeps those items easy to recognize with draft previews, upload feedback, media galleries, file cards, and expandable link details.
Where you share an attachment matters. Activity Chat is part of shared activity work, while a Direct Message is private to its current conversation participants. That distinction determines where the uploaded item belongs and who can open it later.
Shared Files And Private Files Have Different Homes
An attachment sent in Activity Chat follows the activity's shared file context. Uploaded material is connected to Documents so it can remain useful beyond the moment it appeared in the feed. You can also drag an existing stored Document into the Activity Chat composer; Chat reuses the item in its current home rather than making you download and upload it again.
Direct Message uploads take a separate path. They remain private to the conversation and do not create shared Documents in a space. Only current conversation participants can request and open those private attachments. If the group changes, review the conversation history and its files before adding someone new, because the added participant may gain access to retained messages and attachments.
Add Material To A Draft
Choose the method that fits the item you already have:
Before sending, the attachment strip shows each selected item with a name and useful type or size context. Remove anything you did not mean to include by using the close control on its preview. This is the safest moment to check both the files and the intended audience.
Attachment Types And Limits
One message can contain up to 20 attachments in total. Local uploads and stored Documents share that allowance. When a selection would exceed the remaining places, Chat accepts only the items that fit, rejects the extras, and shows an Attachment limit reached warning. Remove an attachment to make room, or divide the material across several messages.
The file picker accepts these practical groups:
Chat checks the file type and size before upload. The permitted size can vary with the kind of file and the current space's upload rules, so use the limit shown in the feedback rather than assuming one fixed number. If an item is rejected before it reaches the attachment strip, choose a supported version, reduce its size, or share an accessible link instead.
Follow An Upload From Draft To Message
After you send a local attachment, the feed shows a pending card with its filename and transfer progress. A group of items is summarized together. Near the end, the status changes to Finishing while Visual Space completes storage, preview preparation, and message creation. Keep the page open until the pending card becomes the sent attachment.
If upload or delivery fails, the message stays in the feed with Message not sent and Retry. Check the error and your connection, then retry the same row. Chat keeps its text, reply, and attachments. Files already uploaded do not need another transfer; an upload that failed is tried again.
Stored Documents do not need another local upload. They can therefore appear in the sent message without repeating the transfer used for a new file.
Read Images, Video, And File Cards
Sent attachments use the presentation that best matches their content:
The lightbox keeps the selected image’s author and message context available. Its React to message and Reply to message actions apply to that image’s message; replying returns to the composer. In Activity Chat, Save message for later also saves the message to View Later. This save action is not offered for private conversations.
On supported image surfaces, Copy image and Download image use the original image. A Direct Message image still requires conversation access.
The extension badge and filename help you recognize what you are about to open. Treat an unexpected type as a reason to pause, especially when the message context does not explain why it was shared.
An already-sent attachment can be removed without deleting the message text or its other media when the sent-media remove control is available to the message author. Removing one item updates the remaining gallery or file cards; it does not rewrite the rest of the conversation.
Keep Links Understandable
The seeded conversation keeps visual attachments and the link's readable address close to their message context.
Know What Publishing Carries Forward
Eligible members can use Publish as article on an Activity Chat message to continue valuable material in the article editor. That handoff carries the message content, original author credit, links, and visual media such as images and video. Generic file attachments are not transferred. Add those files separately in the article when they are still needed.
Direct Messages do not offer this publishing action. Their text, files, links, and previews remain inside the private conversation. See Publish a Chat Message for the complete shared-chat workflow and permission boundary.
Continue With A Practical Guide
For the complete attachment workflow, follow Share Files in Chat. Return to the Chat overview to compare conversation types, or use Messages and Replies for composing, sending, and reply behavior around the attachment.
Common Questions
Why did Chat add only some of the files I selected?
The message had fewer attachment places left than the number selected. Chat keeps the items that fit within the 20-attachment limit and rejects the rest. Send the remaining items separately or remove something from the draft.
Can I drag any local file onto Chat?
Browser drag and paste support is focused on images. Use Upload a file for supported video, document, project, spreadsheet, presentation, and archive formats.
Does sharing a Document make another copy?
Dragging a stored Document into Activity Chat reuses its existing stored material instead of downloading and uploading it again. A new local Activity Chat upload, by contrast, becomes part of the activity's shared Documents context.
Can space members find a file I sent in a Direct Message?
Not through shared Documents. Direct Message attachments remain tied to the private conversation and can be opened only by current participants.
Why can I download a file but not preview it inside Chat?
Only images, video, PDF, plain text, Markdown, JSON, and YAML have the richer preview paths. Other supported formats use a file card with an explicit download action.
How do View Later links and saved messages differ?
Dropping a View Later item into Activity Chat inserts that item’s label and link into your draft. To save an existing Activity Chat image message itself, open its image and choose Save message for later in the lightbox.
Will Publish as article include every attachment?
No. The article handoff includes visual media and links, but not generic file attachments. Review the article draft and add any required files separately before publishing.