Concepts

Files And File Handling

Explains how Stubber stores, receives, creates, and uses files across forms, tasks, Webchat, and automated workflows.

# Overview

Files are first-class data in Stubber. Uploads and generated documents are stored by Stubber and represented in your process by a file object. This lets actions, tasks, forms, and automations pass the same file between steps without copying its content into stub data.

A file object includes a stable fileuuid together with useful metadata such as its filename and content type:

        {
  "fileuuid": "8142ce6c-f3cd-526c-a5d3-747799ed2b1a",
  "filename": "quote.pdf",
  "contentType": "application/pdf"
}

      

Use the fileuuid whenever a task needs to identify a particular file.

# File Ingestion

Files can enter Stubber through several routes:

• Stub action fields: A file field lets an authenticated user upload a file while running an action on a stub.
• Public forms: A public form can include file fields, allowing external users to submit files without signing in.
• Webchat: Webchat can collect structured form input within a conversation, including files when the configured field supports uploads.
• Tasks: The upload_file task imports a file from a URL, while other tasks can create files as part of their work.

# Files Created By Tasks

Tasks often consume one file and return another. Common examples include:

• Generate PDF creates a PDF file from a configured template.
• PDF Tools convert, split, merge, extract from, and otherwise process PDF files through Stubmations.
• Stubmations receive file references in flow_data for larger automated workflows.

# Accessing Files

Files can be accessed in two ways, depending on how they are used:

• URL access: A file can be presented through a direct URL where the caller is authorized to access it, or through a shared URL when a workflow intentionally makes it available to an external recipient.
• fileuuid access: Tasks refer to files by fileuuid, which is a stable identifier that can be used to retrieve the file from Stubber's storage.

# File Settings

New files can be configured with creation options that control their visibility, virtual folder, and lifecycle.
The same shape can be applied, where supported, by file-producing tasks and integrations.

        {
  "visibility": "private",
  "folder": "optional/folder/path",
  "lifecycle": {
    "archive": {
      "after_creation_minutes": 20
    },
    "delete": {
      "after_creation_minutes": 20,
      "after_access_minutes": 20
    }
  }
}

      

• Visibility controls whether a file is private or publicly accessible.
• Folder provides a virtual path for organizing and finding files; it does not change where the file is physically stored.
• Lifecycle sets rules to archive or delete files after creation or after a period without access.

More specific file creation options override broader defaults. A specific setting can use null to clear an inherited option, such as a lifecycle rule.

# Layers of File Settings

File settings can be applied at several levels, with more specific settings overriding broader defaults:

• Org-level defaults — set on the files page of the Console, these defaults apply to all new files created in the org unless overridden.
• Form field settings — set on a file field's params, these settings apply to files uploaded through that field.