Skip to content

File attachments

Read time: 3 minutes. Who it's for: Merchants whose buyers send RFQ documents, drawings, BOMs, or signed paperwork as part of a quote.

QuotWay accepts file attachments on quotes - uploaded by buyers in the drawer, by merchants in the proposal editor, or as part of post-acceptance paperwork.

Supported file types and limits

Allowed file types are PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG, DOCX, and XLSX.

Attachment limits are plan ceilings - they aren't freely configurable. Each plan has a fixed cap on the number of files and the size per file; the app hard-caps at your plan's ceiling on save.

Plan Form / quote attachments Message attachments
Lite None None
Starter 3 files × 5 MB None
Professional 5 files × 10 MB Professional+
Enterprise 5 files × 25 MB Enterprise

Buyer upload flow

  1. The buyer opens the quote drawer on a product page.
  2. If attachments are enabled (the File attachment upload toggle), the drawer shows a drop-zone and "Choose files" button.
  3. The buyer selects files up to your plan's attachment limit. Each is checked client-side for size and type.
  4. On submit, files upload to storage via the App Proxy.
  5. QuotWay validates each file's type and rejects files with malicious or active content. Valid files become available once processing completes.

Merchant upload flow

In the quote detail → Attachments tab, the merchant can upload files too - same limits and validation flow. Useful for:

  • Sending an updated proposal PDF.
  • Sharing pricing breakdowns or terms documents.
  • Attaching signed paperwork after acceptance.

Message attachments (Professional+)

Files can also ride messages in the quote thread - from the admin Messages composer, the buyer portal, and the Customer Account extension. Message attachments are Professional+, and the per-message limits are plan ceilings: Professional = 5 files × 10 MB per message, Enterprise = 5 files × 25 MB. The allowed file types are the same as for form uploads.

The buyer's email notification mentions the attached file names only - never direct download links - and the "View & reply" button takes them to the thread where the files live. Message files don't count toward the quote form's per-quote attachment cap.

Buyer-visible vs merchant-only

Each attachment has a visibility flag:

  • Buyer-visible - the buyer sees it in the portal and Customer Account.
  • Merchant-only - internal-only; the buyer never sees it.

Buyer uploads default to buyer-visible. Merchant uploads default to whichever the merchant picks; usually buyer-visible for proposals, merchant-only for internal notes.

The visibility check happens at signed-URL issuance - buyer routes validate that the attachment is buyer-visible before issuing a signed download link. Every serve writes an audit row.

File processing

Every uploaded file is validated before it becomes downloadable. QuotWay validates each file's type and rejects files with malicious or active content.

  • Ready → signed URLs are issued on demand.
  • Validation or upload failed (rejected file, network error) → the file is not stored; on a transient upload error the reconcile cron retries automatically.

Storage and retention

  • Files are stored encrypted at rest.

  • Retention is set by your plan:

    Plan Attachment / PDF retention
    Lite 30 days
    Starter 90 days
    Professional 180 days
    Enterprise 365 days

  • Files are deleted after the retention period. The attachment record stays for audit (file name, size, dates) but the file contents are gone.

Signed URLs

When a buyer or merchant clicks "Download attachment", QuotWay issues a signed URL valid for 5 minutes. The URL embeds the attachment ID and a signature; once expired, it can't be replayed.

Don't paste the signed URL into an email - it'll expire before anyone clicks it. Use the portal link instead.

Common gotchas

  • Upload fails with "File too large". The file exceeds your plan's per-file size ceiling (Starter 5 MB, Professional 10 MB, Enterprise 25 MB). Compress the file or upgrade your plan.
  • Upload fails with "Unsupported file type". The file isn't one of the allowed types (PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG, DOCX, XLSX), or it was rejected because it contains malicious or active content.
  • Buyer reports an old quote's attachment is gone. It's past your plan's retention window (Lite 30 days, Starter 90, Professional 180, Enterprise 365). The audit record remains but the file is deleted. Upgrade your plan for a longer retention window.

Related articles

Still need a hand? The team is happy to help.

Contact supportInstall Free on Shopify