---
title: Can my audience upload files to Paperform forms? | Paperform Help Center | Paperform
description: Yes, you can add a File Upload or Image Upload question to your form.
url: "https://paperform.com/help/articles/can-my-audience-upload-files-to-paperform-forms"
type: static
generatedAt: "2026-10-12T00:05:08.665Z"
---

Can my audience upload files to Paperform forms, and how do I make that happen?
### Field Types
        ![(iframe)](https://www.loom.com/embed/4ff6ba4f7f6841dc900e5bcfa387e5f6?hide_owner=true&hide_share=true&hide_title=true&hideEmbedTopBar=true)

Yes, you can easily add a [File Upload](https://paperform.com/widgets/file-upload/) or [Image Upload](https://paperform.com/widgets/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](https://paperform.com/help/articles/which-types-of-files-can-users-upload-and-can-i-restrict-any-types/) if you prefer.

![Screenshot of a File Upload question on a form, with a PDF file uploaded.](https://img.paperform.co/fetch/f_auto,w_1400/https://d3gw2uv1ch7vdq.cloudfront.net/img/file-upload-2022.png)

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.](https://img.paperform.co/fetch/f_auto,w_1400/https://d3gw2uv1ch7vdq.cloudfront.net/img/image-upload-2022.png)

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](https://paperform.com/pricing/).
 - 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](https://paperform.com/help/articles/how-do-i-manage-public-file-access-in-paperform/).

### Related Articles
  [What size limits are there on file and image uploads?  Learn about file and image upload size limits on Paperform, how they relate to your plan's storage limit, and what happens if you exceed it.](/help/articles/what-size-limits-are-there-on-file-uploads/)
[Can I restrict users to upload certain file types only?  By default, submitters can upload any file type to a file upload question. You can restrict this to certain file extensions in the question's configuration.](/help/articles/which-types-of-files-can-users-upload-and-can-i-restrict-any-types/)
[Can I let users upload multiple images or files in one go?  Yes, you can toggle on "Can upload multiple files" in the configuration for both Image and File Upload questions.](/help/articles/can-i-let-users-upload-multiple-images-or-files/)
[Can users directly capture and upload a picture from their mobile device into a form?  On mobile devices, an Image Upload will prompt the submitter to either upload an existing photo or take a new one.](/help/articles/can-users-directly-capture-and-upload-a-picture-from-their-mobile-device-into-a-form/)
[Where is my submission data stored?  You can access your form results from the Dashboard or form editor.](/help/articles/where-are-my-submissions/)
[Can I bring my own own S3 Bucket?  Use your own custom S3 bucket to store: uploaded files from image and file questions; custom PDFs; and submission exports that exceed the threshold for immediate download.](/help/articles/use-your-own-s3-bucket/)