Uploads
Store files, images, and media on your records
Engine Awesome has three field types for storing uploaded files on a record: File, Image, and Media. They're variations of the same field: they share the same settings and differ mainly in which file types they accept out of the box. For adding many files at once, the Multi-File Upload blocks create one record per uploaded file.
Comparing the upload fields
All three fields have the same seven category toggles: Images, Audio, Video, Documents, Spreadsheets, Interactive, and Text. What changes is which toggles start turned on.
| Field | On by default | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| File | Documents, Spreadsheets, Interactive, Text | Contracts, invoices, PDFs, spreadsheets, and other attachments |
| Image | Images | Product photos, profile pictures, and logos shown right on the record |
| Media | Images, Audio, Video | Call recordings, videos, and records that could hold any kind of media |
You can change the toggles on any of them, so the choice is mostly about the starting point and how the upload appears on the record. An Image field shows the picture inline in your layouts, while a File field shows the file as a link to download.
Controlling what can be uploaded
The category toggles decide which files a field accepts. Uploads that don't match an enabled category are rejected. Turn on only the categories you need. For example, a Signed Contract field that only accepts documents keeps people from attaching photos by mistake.
Uploading many files at once
Each upload field holds the file for a single record. When users need to add a batch of files, such as 30 photos from a shoot or a stack of receipts, add a Multi-File Upload block to your layout. It creates one new record for every file and stores each file in the File, Image, or Media field you choose.
Which should I use?
- Attaching documents to a record? Use a File field.
- Showing a picture on each record? Use an Image field.
- Storing audio or video? Use a Media field.
- Adding a lot of files, one record each? Add a Multi-File Upload block alongside any of the three.