Mobile Attachment is a Builder only field designed to attach a document as a part of the submission so that the viewer can also review the document(s) attached.
Please Note
Mobile Attachments are only available when completing a submission with the Android or iOS mobile applications and is not available on the Windows Desktop Client. Also, the Attachment field will only ever be in the Builder, regardless of if you are in the Legacy GoCanvas View or the new GoCanvas Projects View.
Mobile Attachments
If a field worker would have previously attempted to provide supporting documentation with a blurry photo or an easily misplaced email that is not connected to the submission, than attaching a file directly eliminates that potentially confusing and frustrating limitation.
Although the use cases for Mobile Attachments are myriad, here are a few common use cases that may spark an idea for how this feature could benefit your unique business needs:
- Blueprints or drawings,
- Spreadsheets,
- Certificates of Insurance,
- Request for Information (RFI).
In order to start adding attachments to a submission, the field first has to be add to the form.
Add a Mobile Attachment Field
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Navigate to the Forms page from the left navigation, expand the Create New menu in the upper right corner of the page, and select Mobile Form. This will automatically open the Builder. Alternatively, this field can be added to an existing form that is built in or upgraded to the Builder.
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Once inside the Builder, the field can be added one of three ways: click to add, drag-and-drop, or using Smart Fields. Scroll to the Multimedia section in the Field Library in the left panel or click Add Field on a Screen in the center workspace, type "Attachment" and enter.
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While the field is still highlighted, make sure the Field Settings are properly adjusted for the purpose of the field.
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Save changes and continue to build your form or Publish to test on mobile. The Test in browser function will also simulate adding an attachment to this field but remember that this will not create a real submission.
Please Note
Attachments can cause your submission files to be larger than normal. We recommend not adding more than three (3) attachments fields to ensure that your submissions and data upload successfully from your users' mobile devices.
Mobile Attachment Field Settings
The Field Settings available for the Mobile Attachment field are common amongst most fields: Conditions, Labels, Required, and Visibility.
A setting unique to the Mobile Attachment, Photo, and Videos fields is Unsecured Access.
- Unsecured Access
- This Mobile Attachment, Photo, and Video field setting allows you to access a file by the URL exported in the CSV or XML without being logged into GoCanvas.
Note
If your account has HIPAA Compliance enabled, Unsecured Access is prohibited and the toggle is hidden from the Builder.
Accessing Attachments from Completed Submissions
GoCanvas securely stores the attachments in AWS cloud, the same location where photos and videos are stored. Therefore, files collected in a submission are accessible via download from a URL.
Attachments can be downloaded from the Standard, Designer, or Custom PDF. The file will appear as a URL in all three PDF options.
Attachments can be downloaded from the Web View data page. Accessible either from the Submission page or Submitted Tab, this is also where an admin would go to Web Edit a submission. The original file name will be retained and will replace the URL in the hyperlink.
Users with access to submissions on the portal or via email will be able to download the attachment but even customers who are sent the PDF can access the file as long as Unsecured Access is toggled on for the field. In other words, Unsecured Access allows people who are not logged into GoCanvas to review the file.
Note
The Attachment field will appear as a URL in the PDF. Additionally, the URL is not a live hyperlink in the PDF Preview, only on the downloaded PDF.
Limitations of the Mobile Attachment Field
Although there isn't technically a limit, the more fields in your form the greater your risk of submissions getting stuck when attempting to sync in poor coverage. GoCanvas strongly encourages no more than three (3) mobile attachments fields, per form, to start.
However, a hard limit is file size, limiting files to 2MB. This may change as we learn more about usage. It’s a limit we’ve put in place to reduce the risk of submissions getting stuck when syncing in poor coverage. We will update if this changes and by how much.
The following files formats are unsupported and will be blocked to protect GoCanvas and our customers: ACTION, APK, APP, BAT, BIN, CAB, CMD, COM, COMMAND, CPL, CSH, EX_, EXE, GADGET, INF1, INS, INX, IPA, ISU, JOB, JSE, KSH, LNK, MSC, MSI, MSP, MST, OSX, OUT, PAF, PIF, PRG, PS1, REG, RGS, RUN, SCR, SCT, SH, SHB, SHS, U3P, VB, VBE, VBS, VBSCRIPT, WORKFLOW, WS, WSF, WSH
Any file format not specifically listed above will be accepted.
Attachments can not be embedded directly in a Custom PDF output. All files can be downloaded from either the PDF or the Web View submission.
And finally, storage and retrieval need to stay within the bounds of what we consider "reasonable use."
Need Access?
If you are a current GoCanvas client, Mobile Attachments comes with the Max plan but is an add-on available for purchase for accounts with the Pro plan. Please reach out to your Account Representative to enable Mobile Attachments for your account or to request a quote.
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