Attachments & References
A file does not have to live in the shared drive. It can belong to the piece of work it is about: a task, a project, or a message in a conversation. And when the file should stay in the shared drive, a task or project can point at it instead of holding a copy.
Which one to use
| You want to… | Use | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Keep a file with one task or project | Attach it on the Files tab | The file belongs to that task or project and is visible to whoever can see it |
| Show a file to the people in a conversation | Attach it to your message | The file stays with the message |
| Use a document that many tasks share, or that keeps changing | Reference it from the Files area | One file in the shared drive, linked from every task or project that needs it |
Files on a task or project
A task and a project each have a Files tab. On a narrow screen it is under More tabs.
Click Add files, or drop files anywhere on the tab. They upload with a progress bar and appear for everyone who has the task or project open, with the name of the person who added them. Files an agent attaches while working on the task appear the same way.
From the tab you can download a file, open an image in the viewer, or delete a file. Attached files are not renamed or moved; to reorganize documents, keep them in the Files area and reference them.
Who can see an attached file follows the task or project. A file on a task of a private team is visible only to the people who can see that task.
Files in conversations
In channels, direct messages and brainstorms a message can carry files:
- click Attach in the composer,
- drag files onto the composer, or
- paste a file or a screenshot from the clipboard.
Each file starts uploading at once and shows its progress; sending waits until all of them are ready. A message holds up to 10 files, and it can consist of files alone, with no text.
Under the message, images appear as previews that open in the viewer, and other files appear as cards that download on click. Deleting a message deletes its files.
In the discussion of a task, a project or a document you cannot attach files to your own messages. Files that an agent attaches to its reply there are shown as usual. To add a file to a task, use its Files tab.
Referencing the shared drive
At the bottom of the Files tab of a task or project is Referenced folders & files. A reference says "the material for this is in /contracts/2026" without copying anything.
- Click Add. The dialog shows the folder tree of the Files area.
- Select a folder. Reference the folder as a whole, or pick one file inside it.
The reference appears as a chip with the path:
| Chip | Click it to |
|---|---|
A folder, such as /contracts/2026 |
Open that folder in the Files area |
A file, such as /contracts/2026/acme.pdf |
Download the file |
The × on a chip removes the reference. The file or folder itself is not touched.
A reference follows the thing it points at. Rename or move the folder, and the chip shows the new path. While a reference exists, the file or folder cannot be deleted: the Files area tells you it is referenced, and you remove the reference first.
Only folders and files of the Files area can be referenced. A file attached to another task cannot.