Files, storage, and quota

Files helps you investigate storage, but billing controls the limit

Files is the best place to understand which files are listed in your workspace, where large files are used, and which old attachments may no longer be needed. Storage limits, billing ownership, plan changes, and storage add-ons are handled through account and billing settings.

Use Files when you need evidence: which project contains the large video, whether old PDFs are still attached to active canvases, or which team uploaded a batch of media. Use billing settings when you need to change the plan, add storage, resolve payment, or confirm the workspace quota.

For plan-specific storage guidance, see Storage limits, Storage add-ons, and Open billing.

How Files relates to storage usage

A file row usually shows where a file appears in your workspace. That context is important for cleanup decisions, but storage totals may not change one-to-one with every visible row. The same uploaded file can appear in more than one place, and storage calculations can include data that is not shown as a simple file row.

Check storage usage before and after cleanup. The Files view helps you identify files taking space. Open Workspace settings and select Usage to see file storage usage and quota.

Treat Files as the place to investigate, not as the final usage ledger. If the storage number does not change immediately after removing a file from a canvas, that does not automatically mean removal failed. Check whether the same file is still referenced elsewhere and allow a few minutes for the canvas scan and workspace total to update.

Find large files

Open Files and sort by largest when storage cleanup is the goal. If the workspace is large, start with a project that is likely to contain heavy files: workshops, video reviews, brand assets, research, client handoffs, or archived launch projects.

Use type filters to focus on storage-heavy formats. Videos, high-resolution images, PDFs, design exports, and compressed archives often explain sudden storage jumps. Filter by uploader or date when you know a recent import caused the issue.

Before removing anything, open the containing canvas. A large file may still be the source file for a live presentation, dashboard, workshop, or client review. Storage cleanup that removes active material creates more work than it saves.

Clean up safely

A safe cleanup flow is:

1. Open Files.
2. Sort by largest.
3. Filter by project, file type, uploader, or upload date if the list is too broad.
4. Preview the file.
5. Open the containing canvas.
6. Confirm the file is no longer needed.
7. Remove the file from the canvas.
8. Wait a few minutes, then refresh Usage to confirm the workspace total updated.

Removal from a canvas is usually recoverable for a limited time through Trash. Trash does not keep the removed file in the workspace storage total, so permanent deletion is not required to reduce usage. Permanent deletion is stricter and irreversible; use it only when the team no longer needs recovery. See Remove a file from a canvas, Restore deleted work, and Delete work forever.

When storage is over the limit

When a workspace is over its storage limit, files may remain visible while preview, download, or upload behavior is limited. Cleanup remains available: users with the right permission can still remove files from canvases. Once the last live reference to a stored file is gone, the file stops counting after ALLO's asynchronous recalculation; emptying Trash is not part of quota recovery.

The exact user experience can depend on plan state and workspace settings, but the practical recovery path is the same: check current usage, identify what is taking space, decide what can be removed, and have a workspace admin resolve the plan or quota if cleanup is not enough. For billing-side recovery, see Fix storage limits.

If you are not a workspace admin, gather useful details before asking for help:

If the workspace needs more storage, use Storage add-ons. If payment or plan state is blocking access, use Fix a payment issue or contact a workspace admin.

Expired and unavailable files

If a file is marked expired or unavailable, do not assume the row should be deleted. The row can still show where the file belonged, which is useful for recovery, replacement, or support. Deleting that item can make the investigation harder.

Start with Unavailable and retention-locked files. Then check storage settings and the containing canvas. If the file is still needed, an owner may need to resolve storage state, restore the file where it belonged, or re-upload the source file.

Storage cleanup and Trash

Trash can contain files removed from canvases during the retention window. Restoring an item can bring the file back to the work where it belonged, while permanent deletion removes the normal recovery path. Automatic retention cleanup can also remove old Trash items after the retention window.

Do not assume Trash is a long-term recovery archive. If you removed a file by mistake, restore it quickly. Permanently deleting an item from Trash removes the recovery path but does not free additional workspace quota. See Retention window and Empty Trash.

Permissions and billing roles

File cleanup and billing changes are often owned by different people. A project editor may be able to remove files from a canvas but not change the workspace storage plan. A workspace admin can add storage but may not know which project files are safe to remove. The admin may also be able to manage Trash actions that regular members cannot.

When storage is urgent, coordinate the roles instead of guessing. The person who understands the work should identify files that are safe to remove. The workspace admin should check plan state and add storage if needed. Permanent deletion should happen only when the team has separately confirmed that recovery is no longer needed.

For role questions, see Members, guests, and external collaborators and Change a member's role.

When storage numbers do not match what you expect

If the storage number seems too high, remember that Files may not show every storage detail as a simple list of current rows. Files used in more than one place, old projects, large media, and files outside the current project scope can all affect what you see.

Clear Files filters and check workspace-level Files. Sort by largest and open containing canvases to find remaining live references. If you are only looking inside one project, broaden the scope because storage is workspace-level. After cleanup, wait a few minutes and refresh Usage.

If the number still looks wrong, contact support with the workspace name, storage number shown, examples of large files you expected to count or not count, and cleanup steps already taken. For support routing, see Contact support.