> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.chatling.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# File attachments

> Allow users and agents to share files in live chat.

You can let end-users send files (images, documents, audio, video) in the
chat widget, and your agents can do the same when replying from the
conversations dashboard. This is useful for support flows that involve
screenshots, receipts, ID checks, voice messages, or any other media.

<Note>
  File attachments are only available during **live chat**. They are not
  available while the AI is handling the conversation.
</Note>

## How to enable file attachments

1. Open your chatbot's dashboard.
2. Go to the widget designer. To learn how to access it, see [this guide](/web-widget/customize).
3. Click `Configure` from the sidebar.

<img src="https://chatling-assets.b-cdn.net/open-appearance-configuration-settings.jpg" width="400" alt="Open appearance configuration settings" />

4. Enable `File attachments`.
5. Choose which file types to allow.
6. Click `Save`.

## Allowed file types

Once attachments are enabled, you can pick which categories of files end-users
are allowed to send:

* **Images** — JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, AVIF.
* **Documents** — PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, plain text and CSV.
* **Audio** — MP3, M4A, AAC, WAV, OGG, WebM.
* **Video** — MP4, MOV, WebM, OGG.

Disabling a category hides those file types from the file picker on the
widget. Files that don't match an enabled category are rejected before
they're uploaded.

## Limits

| Limit                       | Value |
| --------------------------- | ----- |
| Max attachments per message | 3     |
| Max image size              | 2 MB  |
| Max document size           | 10 MB |
| Max audio size              | 10 MB |
| Max video size              | 10 MB |

If a user tries to attach more than 3 files in a single message, the
extra files are blocked with an inline error and not uploaded. Files
above the per-type size limit are also rejected up front.

## How users send attachments

When attachments are enabled, end-users see a paperclip icon in the
message input. They can also drag-and-drop files directly onto the chat
window.

Each attached file appears as a chip above the input with a preview (for
images) or filename and size (for documents/audio/video). The user can
optionally type a message to send along with the files, then click send.

Each attachment is delivered as its own message bubble in the
conversation, similar to how WhatsApp or Crisp handles attachments.

## How agents send attachments

From the **Conversations** page in your dashboard, agents can attach files
the same way: paperclip icon in the composer, or drag-and-drop onto the
conversation thread. The same per-message and per-type limits apply.

Attachments sent by agents appear as separate message bubbles in the
end-user's chat.

<Note>
  Agents can also attach files when replying to **WhatsApp** and
  **Instagram** conversations, but the supported file types are restricted
  by Meta's APIs. Instagram only accepts images, audio, and video (no
  documents). WhatsApp accepts all four categories but only specific file
  formats per category. The file picker automatically narrows to what each
  channel supports.
</Note>