# Source: https://developers.notion.com/guides/data-apis/uploading-small-files.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.

# Uploading small files

> Learn how to send and attach files up to 20 MB using the Notion API.

The **Direct Upload** method lets you securely upload private files to Notion-managed storage via the API. Once uploaded, these files can be reused and attached to pages, blocks, or database properties.

This guide walks you through the upload lifecycle:

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Create a file upload object
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Send the file content to Notion
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Attach the file to content in your workspace
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  **Tip**:

  Upload once, attach many times. You can reuse the same `file_upload` ID across multiple blocks or pages.
</Tip>

## Step 1 - Create a File Upload object

Before uploading any content, start by creating a [File Upload object](/reference/file-upload). This returns a unique `id` and `upload_url` used to send the file.

<Tip>
  **Tip:**

  Save the `id` — You’ll need it to upload the file in Step 2 and attach it in Step 3.
</Tip>

### Example requests

This snippet sends a `POST` request to create the upload object.

<CodeGroup>
  ```curl cURL theme={null}
  curl --request POST \
    --url 'https://api.notion.com/v1/file_uploads' \
    -H 'Authorization: Bearer ntn_****' \
    -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    -H 'Notion-Version: 2022-06-28' \
    --data '{}'
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  import json
  import requests

  payload = {
      "filename": file_name,
      "content_type": "image/png"
  }

  file_create_response = requests.post("https://api.notion.com/v1/file_uploads", json=payload, headers={
      "Authorization": f"Bearer {NOTION_KEY}",
      "accept": "application/json",
      "content-type": "application/json",
      "Notion-Version": "2022-06-28"
  })

  if file_create_response.status_code != 200:
      raise Exception(
          f"File creation failed with status code {file_create_response.status_code}: {file_create_response.text}"
      )

  file_upload_id = json.loads(file_create_response.text)['id']
  ```
</CodeGroup>

### Example Response

<CodeGroup>
  ```json JSON theme={null}
  {
    "object": "file_upload",
    "id": "a3f9d3e2-1abc-42de-b904-badc0ffee000",
    "created_time": "2025-04-09T22:26:00.000Z",
    "last_edited_time": "2025-04-09T22:26:00.000Z",
    "expiry_time": "2025-04-09T23:26:00.000Z",
    "upload_url": "https://api.notion.com/v1/file_uploads/a3f9d3e2-1abc-42de-b904-badc0ffee000/send",
    "archived": false,
    "status": "pending",
    "filename": null,
    "content_type": null,
    "content_length": null,
    "request_id": "b7c1fd7e-2c84-4f55-877e-d3ad7db2ac4b"
  }
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Step 2 - Upload file contents

Next, use the `upload_url` or File Upload object `id` from Step 1 to send the binary file contents to Notion.

<Tip>
  **Tips**:

  * The only required field is the file contents under the `file` key.
  * Unlike other Notion APIs, the Send File Upload endpoint expects a Content-Type of multipart/form-data, not application/json.
  * Include a boundary in the `Content-Type` header \[for the Send File Upload API] as described in [RFC 2388](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2388) and [RFC 1341](https://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc1341/7_2_Multipart.html). Most HTTP clients (e.g. `fetch`, `ky`) handle this automatically if you include `FormData` with your file and don't pass an explicit `Content-Type` header.
</Tip>

### Example requests

This uploads the file directly from your local system.

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl --request POST \
    --url 'https://api.notion.com/v1/file_uploads/a3f9d3e2-1abc-42de-b904-badc0ffee000/send' \
    -H 'Authorization: Bearer ntn_****' \
    -H 'Notion-Version: 2022-06-28' \
    -H 'Content-Type: multipart/form-data' \
    -F "file=@path/to-file.gif"
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript expandable theme={null}
  // Open a read stream for the file
  const fileStream = fs.createReadStream(filePath)

  // Create form data with the (named) file contents under the `file` key.
  const form = new FormData()
  form.append('file', fileStream, {
  	filename: path.basename(filePath)
  })

  // HTTP POST to the Send File Upload API.
  const response = await fetch(
  	`https://api.notion.com/v1/file_uploads/${fileUploadId}/send`,
  	{
  		method: 'POST',
  		body: form,
  		headers: {
  			'Authorization': `Bearer ${notionToken}`,
  			'Notion-Version': notionVersion,
  		}
  	}
  )

  // Rescue validation errors. Possible HTTP 400 cases include:
  // - content length greater than the 20MB limit
  // - FileUpload not in the `pending` status (e.g. `expired`)
  // - invalid or unsupported file content type
  if (!response.ok) {
  	const errorBody = await response.text()
  	console.log('Error response body:', errorBody)
  	throw new Error(`HTTP error with status: ${response.status}`)
  }

  const data = await response.json()
  // ...
  ```

  ```python Python expandable theme={null}

  file_name = "test.png"

  with open(file_name, "rb") as f:
  		# Provide the MIME content type of the file as the 3rd argument.
      files = {
          "file": (file_name, f, "image/png")
      }

      response = requests.post(
          f"https://api.notion.com/v1/file_uploads/{file_upload_id}/send",
          headers={
              "Authorization": f"Bearer {NOTION_KEY}",
              "Notion-Version": "2022-06-28"
          },
          files=files
      )

      if response.status_code != 200:
          raise Exception(
              f"File upload failed with status code {response.status_code}: {response.text}")
  ```
</CodeGroup>

### Example response

<CodeGroup>
  ```json JSON theme={null}
  {
    "object": "file_upload",
    "id": "a3f9d3e2-1abc-42de-b904-badc0ffee000",
    "created_time": "2025-04-09T22:26:00.000Z",
    "last_edited_time": "2025-04-09T22:27:00.000Z",
    "expiry_time": "2025-04-09T23:26:00.000Z",
    "archived": false,
    "status": "uploaded",
    "filename": "Really funny.gif",
    "content_type": "image/gif",
    "content_length": "4435",
    "request_id": "91a4ee8c-61f6-4c27-bd41-09aa35299929"
  }
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<Info>
  **Reminder:**

  Files must be attached within **1 hour** of upload or they’ll be automatically moved to an `archived` status.
</Info>

## Step 3 - Attach the file to a page or block

Once the file’s `status` is `uploaded`, it can be attached to any location that supports file objects using the File Upload object `id`.

This step uses standard Notion API endpoints; there’s no special upload-specific API for attaching. Just pass a file object with a type of `file_upload` and include the `id` that you received earlier in Step 1.

You can use the file upload `id` with the following APIs:

<Steps>
  <Step>
    [Create a page](/reference/post-page)

    * Attach files to a database property with the `files` type
    * Include uploaded files in `children` blocks (e.g., file/image blocks inside a new page)
  </Step>

  <Step>
    [Update page properties](/reference/patch-page)

    * Update existing `files` properties on a database page
    * Set page `icon` or `cover`
  </Step>

  <Step>
    [Append block children](/reference/patch-block-children)

    * Add a new block to a page — like a file, image, audio, video, or PDF block that uses an uploaded file
  </Step>

  <Step>
    [Update a block](/reference/update-a-block)

    * Change the file attached to an existing file block (e.g., convert an image with an external URL to one that uses a file uploaded via the API)
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Example: add an image block to a page

This example uses the [Append block children](/reference/patch-block-children) API to create a new image block in a page and attach the uploaded file.

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl --request PATCH \
  	--url "https://api.notion.com/v1/blocks/$PAGE_OR_BLOCK_ID/children" \
  	-H "Authorization: Bearer ntn_*****" \
  	-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  	-H 'Notion-Version: 2022-06-28' \
  	--data '{
  		"children": [
  			{
  				"type": "image",
  				"image": {
  					"caption": [],
  					"type": "file_upload",
  					"file_upload": {
  						"id": "'"$FILE_UPLOAD_ID'""
  					}
  				}
  			}
  		]
  	}'
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  # Append image to desired block (this could be a page,
  # or a block within a page)
  url = f"https://api.notion.com/v1/blocks/{append_block_id}/children"

  payload = {
      "children": [
          {
              "object": "block",
              "type": "image",
              "image": {
                  "type": "file_upload",
                  "file_upload": {
                      "id": file_upload_id
                  }
              }
          }
      ]
  }

  response = requests.patch(url, headers={
      "Authorization": f"Bearer {NOTION_KEY}",
      "accept": "application/json",
      "content-type": "application/json",
      "Notion-Version": "2022-06-28"
  }, data=json.dumps(payload))

  if response.status_code != 200:
      raise Exception(
          f"Block append failed with status code {response.status_code}: {response.text}")
  ```
</CodeGroup>

### Example: add a file block to a page

example uses the [Append block children](/reference/patch-block-children) API to create a new file block in a page and attach the uploaded file.

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL expandable theme={null}
  curl --request PATCH \
    --url "https://api.notion.com/v1/blocks/$PAGE_OR_BLOCK_ID/children" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer ntn_*****" \
    -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    -H 'Notion-Version: 2022-06-28' \
    --data '{
  	  "children": [
  		  {
  			  "type": "file",
  			  "file": {
  				  "type": "file_upload",
  				  "file_upload": {
  					  "id": "'"$FILE_UPLOAD_ID"'"
  				  }
  			  }
  		  }
  	  ]
    }'
  ```
</CodeGroup>

### Example: attach a file property to a page in a database

This example uses the [Update page properties](/reference/patch-page) API to ad the uploaded file to a `files` property on a page that lives in a Notion database.

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL expandable theme={null}
  curl --request PATCH \
    --url "https://api.notion.com/v1/pages/$PAGE_ID" \
    -H 'Authorization: Bearer ntn_****' \
    -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    -H 'Notion-Version: 2022-06-28' \
    --data '{
      "properties": {
        "Attachments": {
          "type": "files",
          "files": [
            {
              "type": "file_upload",
              "file_upload": { "id": "9a8b7c6d-1e2f-4a3b-9e0f-a1b2c3d4e5f6" },
              "name": "logo.png"
            }
          ]
        }
      }
    }'
  ```
</CodeGroup>

### Example: Set a page cover

This example uses the [Update page properties](/reference/patch-page) API to add the uploaded file as a page cover.

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl --request PATCH \
    --url "https://api.notion.com/v1/pages/$PAGE_ID" \
    -H 'Authorization: Bearer ntn_****' \
    -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    -H 'Notion-Version: 2022-06-28' \
    --data '{
  	  "cover": {
  		  "type": "file_upload",
  		  "file_upload": {
  			  "id": "'"$FILE_UPLOAD_ID"'"
  		  }
  	  }
    }'
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<Check>
  **You’ve successfully uploaded and attached a file using Notion’s Direct Upload method.**
</Check>

## File lifecycle and reuse

When a file is first uploaded, it has an `expiry_time`, one hour from the time of creation, during which it must be attached.

Once attached to any page, block, or database in your workspace:

* The `expiry_time` is removed.
* The file becomes a permanent part of your workspace.
* The `status` remains `uploaded`.

Even if the original content is deleted, the `file_upload` ID remains valid and can be reused to attach the file again.

Currently, there is no way to delete or revoke a file upload after it has been created.

## Downloading an uploaded file

Attaching a file upload gives you access to a temporary download URL via the Notion API.

These URLs expire after 1 hour.

To refresh access, re-fetch the page, block, or database where the file is attached.

<Tip>
  **Tip:**

  A file becomes persistent and reusable after the first successful attachment — no need to re-upload.
</Tip>

## Tips and troubleshooting

* **URL expiration**: Notion-hosted files expire after 1 hour. Always re-fetch file objects to refresh links.
* **Attachment deadline**: Files must be attached within 1 hour of upload, or they’ll expire.
* **Size limit**: This guide only supports files up to 20 MB. Larger files require a [multi-part upload](/guides/data-apis/sending-larger-files).
* **Block type compatibility**: Files can be attached to image, file, video, audio, or pdf blocks — and to `files` properties on pages.

**What’s Next**

Now that you know how to upload a file, let’s walk through how to retrieve a file via the API: