You can send customers images, video, audio and documents, and on some setups record a voice note. Every file is checked before it can be sent or opened.
Attach a file
- 1The file
- 2Type
- 3Caption
- 4Send
Open a conversation with the composer on Reply, and select Attach media.
Select Choose a file, or drop a file on the box. You can also drop a file anywhere on the composer ("Drop to attach").
Wait for the upload and the check. You see Uploading… with a percentage, then Checking file….
Check the Type (Image, Video, Audio or Document), which is filled in for you. Add an optional Caption.
Select Send.
If a file is already hosted somewhere, you can paste its address in Media URL or provider id instead of uploading.
Attachments go out as replies. They can't be added to private notes.
Size and type limits
The box shows the limit that applies, such as "Up to 16 MB for videos on WhatsApp". It depends on your organisation's storage and on the channel, because each channel accepts different sizes and types. If you pick something too big, you see how big the limit is and how big your file is.
- Photos. If a photo is over the limit, select Compress photo. Natiq re-encodes it to fit and uploads the smaller copy. If it can't be made small enough you're asked to choose a smaller one.
- Types the channel can't carry. You see a message such as "{channel} does not accept this type of file."
- Programs and scripts can't be sent at all.
- If file storage isn't enabled for your environment, the dialog says so. Attach media by URL instead, or ask an admin.
Every file is scanned
Files are scanned for malware and checked that they really are the type they claim. A file that fails is refused with the reason, for example "This file contains malware and was not sent." If the check can't run right now, try again in a moment.
Files customers send are scanned too. You see Checking file… while that happens. A blocked file shows why, such as blocked by malware scanning, not the type it claims, a type that isn't accepted or too large to keep, with a Report link. When a conversation has blocked files, Show blocked and Hide blocked switch them in and out of view.
Old attachments may expire. A file that has expired shows "Attachment expired" and the number of months it was kept.
View files you receive
Select an image or video to open it in a viewer with Download, Open in a new tab, Previous, Next, and zoom controls for images. Documents that are PDFs open in a side panel; if your browser can't show it, use Download.
Record a voice note
The microphone button, Record a voice note, appears in the composer only when all of these are true:
- 1Listen back
- 2Record again
- 3Send
- You're writing a reply, not a note.
- The channel can carry audio.
- Your browser can record.
- Your organisation's storage accepts the recording format.
If any is missing, the button isn't shown, and that's expected rather than a fault.
Select Record a voice note, then Record. Allow microphone access if your browser asks.
Speak. A timer counts up to the limit of 2 minutes.
Select Stop. You can listen back, Record again, or Discard recording.
Select Send.
At the limit, recording stops and keeps what you said: "Reached the 2:00 limit — the recording was kept." If microphone access is blocked, allow it in your browser's site settings and try again.