Work with file objects on a canvas

File objects keep source material next to the work that depends on it. Instead of sending a PDF, deck, contract, audio file, or reference document through a separate chat thread, place it on the canvas, add notes around it, and ask reviewers to comment where the decision belongs.

Use file objects when the file is part of the canvas conversation. Use the workspace Files area when you are trying to find files across a workspace, filter by type, or return to the canvas where a file was used.

Availability and permissions

When to use file objects

Use file objects for review material, source documents, research evidence, decks, audio or video references, PDFs, exported reports, legal drafts, and handoff packages. They work best when the file needs discussion in visual context: a PDF next to approval notes, a deck next to launch risks, or a contract next to questions for the legal team.

Do not use a file object as the only long-term file system for a workspace. The canvas is where the file is discussed and arranged. If you need to search, filter, or clean up files across projects and canvases, start from Files overview. If storage or quota warnings appear, use Files, storage, and quota instead of deleting objects blindly.

Add files to a canvas

Use Upload files from the canvas toolbar, paste files from the clipboard, or drag files into the canvas when your browser supports it. ALLO creates objects on the canvas before the upload is fully finished, then updates them with final file details, thumbnails, and preview data as processing completes.

Image uploads become image objects, which have their own review and editing actions. See Work with image objects for crop, replace, background removal, thumbnails, and image download behavior.

PDFs, documents, media, and other non-image files usually become file or embed-style objects. When you upload a batch, ALLO places the new objects in a layout near the drop point rather than making you separate every object by hand.

If a file is larger than the current workspace upload limit, ALLO can reject it and show an upload-limit message. The visible limit depends on the workspace plan and configuration, so trust the in-product message over old screenshots or team notes.

Understand upload processing

Uploaded files go through several steps: local object creation, upload, server processing, thumbnail or preview preparation, and final object update. During that window, the object can look present but incomplete.

That pending state is not the same as a failed upload. You may still be able to select, move, resize, comment on, align, group, duplicate, or delete the object while actions such as Preview, Download, Replace, Edit, or thumbnail update are disabled. Wait for processing to finish before treating missing actions as a bug.

If you navigate away while files are uploading, ALLO may cancel work tied to the old canvas session. Return to the canvas and confirm whether the object finished, failed, or was removed. For important meeting prep, upload large files before participants join; live sessions are a bad time to discover that a 90-page PDF still needs processing.

Preview files before downloading

Use Preview when you need to inspect a file without leaving the canvas. Preview is the right default for reviews because the file stays near surrounding notes, arrows, comments, and decisions.

Supported preview paths include PDFs, video, audio, text-like files, CSV files, some website or embed payloads, and Office or HWP documents that ALLO can convert through an internal PDF preview path. For creating a canvas from a document rather than previewing a file object, see Import PDF and Office files. For the complete preview surface, see Preview canvas objects.

PDF and Office/HWP-to-PDF preview has a confirmed 100 MB preview limit. When a document is over that limit, ALLO should keep the preview window and download action available, then show a clear limit message instead of trying to load a document that can make the canvas unusable. Download may still be the correct path when downloads are allowed.

Download files

Use Download when you need the source file outside ALLO. Download is separate from Preview. A collaborator may be allowed to see a file in preview but not download a local copy, depending on the canvas share role, workspace policy, file state, plan restrictions, or storage retention state.

If Download is missing but Preview works, do not assume the file is broken. Ask the canvas owner or workspace admin whether downloads are intentionally restricted. If the file comes from a shared canvas in another workspace, the restriction can come from that workspace rather than your own billing role.

For whole-canvas export, PDF export, print, and Download all images, use Export and header menu. A file-object download saves that file. A canvas export creates a separate deliverable from the page or canvas.

Object menu actions for files

Select the file object and open the Element menu when you need actions that are not shown beside the object. The actions you see depend on file type, selection count, permission, upload state, mobile or desktop layout, and workspace restrictions.

Common file actions include Preview, Download, Rename, Upload a thumbnail, Copy link, Add comment, Duplicate, Group, Lock, Bring to front, Send to back, and Delete. Some file types also show media-specific controls through preview, such as PDF page navigation, audio playback, video playback, text preview, or CSV table preview.

Supported uploaded PDF and Office documents can also show Convert to canvas. Use it when the file has become important enough to need its own connected review space. ALLO creates a sub-canvas beside the source file instead of making you upload the document again. See Convert an uploaded document to a canvas.

Use Copy link when someone needs to jump to the exact file object on the canvas. For the difference between object links and access links, see Private links and share links in Canvas. Use comments when the feedback belongs to the file. Use Upload a thumbnail when the default thumbnail is blank, stale, or not representative of the file contents.

Review files with collaborators

The strongest file-review workflow is simple: upload the document, place it near the question or decision, add short text instructions nearby, and ask reviewers to use object comments instead of separate chat messages. That keeps feedback attached to the file even when the canvas becomes busy.

For a PDF review, place the PDF next to a checklist of decisions, use comments for page-level or object-level questions, and resolve threads as decisions are made. For a deck review, place the deck object near launch notes and ask each reviewer to comment on the object rather than sending disconnected feedback. For research review, group the file with summary notes and links so future readers understand why it was added.

If the file contains sensitive information, check the canvas sharing settings before inviting external reviewers. Anyone who can access the canvas may be able to inspect the file according to their role and workspace policy. See Share a canvas for role and link behavior.

What can go wrong

If upload fails, check the file size, plan limit, connection, workspace storage state, and whether you still have edit access. Try one file first before repeating a large batch.

If Preview is missing, the upload may still be processing, the file type may not support preview, the preview source may be unavailable, or your permission may not allow it. If Download is available, download can be the fallback.

If a PDF or Office document opens with a preview-limit message, use Download when allowed. The limit protects the browser and canvas session from heavy document rendering.

If a collaborator can open the canvas but not the file, check both canvas sharing and the file's workspace restrictions. View access to the canvas does not always mean local download access.

If a thumbnail is wrong, stale, or blank, update it when the menu action is available. A good thumbnail is part of navigation. It helps people identify the file before opening it.