# Source: https://developers.notion.com/reference/create-a-file-upload.md

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developers.notion.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> Use this API to initiate the process of [uploading a file](/guides/data-apis/working-with-files-and-media) to your Notion workspace.

# Create a file upload

For a successful request, the response is a [File Upload](/reference/file-upload) object with a `status` of `"pending"`.

The maximum allowed length of `filename` string is 900 bytes, including any file extension included in the file name or inferred based on the `content_type`. However, we recommend using shorter names for performance and easier file management and lookup using the [List file uploads](/reference/list-file-uploads) API.


## OpenAPI

````yaml post /v1/file_uploads
openapi: 3.1.0
info:
  title: Notion API
  version: 1.0.0
  termsOfService: >-
    https://notion.notion.site/Terms-and-Privacy-28ffdd083dc3473e9c2da6ec011b58ac
servers:
  - url: https://api.notion.com
security:
  - bearerAuth: []
tags:
  - name: Databases
    description: Database endpoints
  - name: Data sources
    description: Data source endpoints
  - name: Pages
    description: Page endpoints
  - name: Blocks
    description: Block endpoints
  - name: Comments
    description: Comment endpoints
  - name: File uploads
    description: File upload endpoints
  - name: OAuth
    description: OAuth endpoints (basic authentication)
  - name: Users
    description: User endpoints
  - name: Search
    description: Search endpoints
paths:
  /v1/file_uploads:
    post:
      tags:
        - File uploads
      summary: Create a file upload
      operationId: create-file
      parameters:
        - $ref: '#/components/parameters/notionVersion'
      requestBody:
        required: true
        content:
          application/json:
            schema:
              type: object
              properties:
                mode:
                  type: string
                  enum:
                    - single_part
                    - multi_part
                    - external_url
                  description: >-
                    How the file is being sent. Use `multi_part` for files
                    larger than 20MB. Use `external_url` for files that are
                    temporarily hosted publicly elsewhere. Default is
                    `single_part`.
                filename:
                  type: string
                  examples:
                    - business_summary.pdf
                  description: >-
                    Name of the file to be created. Required when `mode` is
                    `multi_part`. Otherwise optional, and used to override the
                    filename. Must include an extension, or have one inferred
                    from the `content_type` parameter.
                content_type:
                  type: string
                  examples:
                    - application/pdf
                  description: >-
                    MIME type of the file to be created. Recommended when
                    sending the file in multiple parts. Must match the content
                    type of the file that's sent, and the extension of the
                    `filename` parameter if any.
                number_of_parts:
                  type: integer
                  minimum: 1
                  maximum: 10000
                  description: >-
                    When `mode` is `multi_part`, the number of parts you are
                    uploading. This must match the number of parts as well as
                    the final `part_number` you send.
                external_url:
                  type: string
                  description: >-
                    When `mode` is `external_url`, provide the HTTPS URL of a
                    publicly accessible file to import into your workspace.
      responses:
        '200':
          description: ''
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/fileUploadObjectResponse'
        '400':
          description: ''
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/error_api_400'
        '401':
          description: ''
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/error_api_401'
        '403':
          description: ''
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/error_api_403'
        '404':
          description: ''
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/error_api_404'
        '409':
          description: ''
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/error_api_409'
        '429':
          description: ''
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/error_api_429'
        '500':
          description: ''
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/error_api_500'
        '503':
          description: ''
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/error_api_503'
components:
  parameters:
    notionVersion:
      name: Notion-Version
      in: header
      required: true
      schema:
        enum:
          - '2025-09-03'
      description: >-
        The [API version](/reference/versioning) to use for this request. The
        latest version is `2025-09-03`.
  schemas:
    fileUploadObjectResponse:
      type: object
      properties:
        object:
          type: string
          const: file_upload
          description: Always `file_upload`
        id:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/idResponse'
        created_time:
          type: string
          format: date
        created_by:
          type: object
          properties:
            id:
              $ref: '#/components/schemas/idResponse'
            type:
              type: string
              enum:
                - person
                - bot
                - agent
              description: 'One of: `person`, `bot`, `agent`'
          additionalProperties: false
          required:
            - id
            - type
        last_edited_time:
          type: string
          format: date
        archived:
          type: boolean
        expiry_time:
          oneOf:
            - type: string
              format: date
            - type: 'null'
        status:
          type: string
          enum:
            - pending
            - uploaded
            - expired
            - failed
          description: 'One of: `pending`, `uploaded`, `expired`, `failed`'
        filename:
          oneOf:
            - type: string
            - type: 'null'
        content_type:
          oneOf:
            - type: string
            - type: 'null'
        content_length:
          oneOf:
            - type: integer
              minimum: 0
            - type: 'null'
        upload_url:
          type: string
        complete_url:
          type: string
        file_import_result:
          allOf:
            - type: object
              properties:
                imported_time:
                  type: string
                  format: date
                  description: The time the file was imported into Notion. ISO 8601 format.
              additionalProperties: false
              required:
                - imported_time
            - oneOf:
                - type: object
                  properties:
                    type:
                      type: string
                      const: success
                      description: Indicates a successful import.
                    success:
                      $ref: '#/components/schemas/emptyObject'
                      description: Empty object for success type.
                  required:
                    - type
                    - success
                  title: Success
                - type: object
                  properties:
                    type:
                      type: string
                      const: error
                      description: Indicates an error occurred during import.
                    error:
                      type: object
                      properties:
                        type:
                          type: string
                          enum:
                            - validation_error
                            - internal_system_error
                            - download_error
                            - upload_error
                          description: The type of error that occurred during file import.
                        code:
                          type: string
                          description: A short string code representing the error.
                        message:
                          type: string
                          description: A human-readable message describing the error.
                        parameter:
                          oneOf:
                            - type: string
                            - type: 'null'
                          description: >-
                            The parameter related to the error, if applicable.
                            Null if not applicable.
                        status_code:
                          oneOf:
                            - type: integer
                            - type: 'null'
                          description: >-
                            The HTTP status code associated with the error, if
                            available. Null if not applicable.
                      additionalProperties: false
                      required:
                        - type
                        - code
                        - message
                        - parameter
                        - status_code
                      description: >-
                        Details about the error that occurred during file
                        import.
                  required:
                    - type
                    - error
                  title: Error
        number_of_parts:
          type: object
          properties:
            total:
              type: integer
              minimum: 0
            sent:
              type: integer
              minimum: 0
          additionalProperties: false
          required:
            - total
            - sent
      additionalProperties: false
      required:
        - object
        - id
        - created_time
        - created_by
        - last_edited_time
        - archived
        - expiry_time
        - status
        - filename
        - content_type
        - content_length
    error_api_400:
      allOf:
        - $ref: '#/components/schemas/publicApiCommonErrorResponse'
        - type: object
          properties:
            code:
              enum:
                - invalid_json
                - invalid_request_url
                - invalid_request
                - missing_version
                - validation_error
            status:
              const: 400
          required:
            - code
            - status
          additionalProperties: false
    error_api_401:
      allOf:
        - $ref: '#/components/schemas/publicApiCommonErrorResponse'
        - type: object
          properties:
            code:
              enum:
                - unauthorized
            status:
              const: 401
          required:
            - code
            - status
          additionalProperties: false
    error_api_403:
      allOf:
        - $ref: '#/components/schemas/publicApiCommonErrorResponse'
        - type: object
          properties:
            code:
              enum:
                - restricted_resource
            status:
              const: 403
          required:
            - code
            - status
          additionalProperties: false
    error_api_404:
      allOf:
        - $ref: '#/components/schemas/publicApiCommonErrorResponse'
        - type: object
          properties:
            code:
              enum:
                - object_not_found
            status:
              const: 404
          required:
            - code
            - status
          additionalProperties: false
    error_api_409:
      allOf:
        - $ref: '#/components/schemas/publicApiCommonErrorResponse'
        - type: object
          properties:
            code:
              enum:
                - conflict_error
            status:
              const: 409
          required:
            - code
            - status
          additionalProperties: false
    error_api_429:
      allOf:
        - $ref: '#/components/schemas/publicApiCommonErrorResponse'
        - type: object
          properties:
            code:
              enum:
                - rate_limited
            status:
              const: 429
          required:
            - code
            - status
          additionalProperties: false
    error_api_500:
      allOf:
        - $ref: '#/components/schemas/publicApiCommonErrorResponse'
        - type: object
          properties:
            code:
              enum:
                - internal_server_error
            status:
              const: 500
          required:
            - code
            - status
          additionalProperties: false
    error_api_503:
      allOf:
        - $ref: '#/components/schemas/publicApiCommonErrorResponse'
        - type: object
          properties:
            code:
              enum:
                - service_unavailable
            status:
              const: 503
          required:
            - code
            - status
          additionalProperties: false
    idResponse:
      type: string
      format: uuid
    emptyObject:
      type: object
      properties: {}
      additionalProperties: false
    publicApiCommonErrorResponse:
      type: object
      properties:
        object:
          const: error
        message:
          type: string
        additional_data:
          type: object
          additionalProperties:
            oneOf:
              - type: string
              - type: array
                items:
                  type: string
      required:
        - object
        - message
  securitySchemes:
    bearerAuth:
      type: http
      scheme: bearer

````