Attach files to a supplier or PO
A supplier invoice in your inbox is one wrong-folder away from being lost. Fexl Lite lets you drop the file directly onto the PO it belongs to, so the next person opening the PO detail page in 2027 can read the original paperwork without scavenging through email. The same upload pattern works on supplier records, supplier-return records, and a few other places — anywhere the paperwork should travel with the data.
Where attachments live
Every attachment is stored as a file on the Go server (or on cloud blob storage when sync is enabled), with a row in the attachments table linking it to its parent record. The file itself doesn’t go through the SQL database — only metadata (filename, size, content-type, uploader, timestamp) is persisted there.
Attach points currently exposed in the UI:
- Purchase orders — the most common case. Drop the supplier’s invoice or shipping document onto the PO before or after receive. Visible on the PO detail page under an Attachments card.
- Supplier records — for documents that aren’t tied to a single PO: a master agreement, a credit terms letter, a contact card.
- Supplier returns — when you route defective stock back, drop the carrier waybill or RMA paperwork on the supplier-return record so the loop stays auditable.
- Expenses — receipts and invoices for non-inventory expenses. Different module — see Expenses.
Uploading
Open the parent record
Navigate to the PO detail page (or supplier detail page, or supplier-return record). Find the Attachments card.
Drop or pick a file
Drag the file from your desktop onto the drop zone, or click Choose file to open the OS picker. The upload starts immediately; you don’t have to “save” the parent record afterwards.
Wait for the green checkmark
Upload progress shows on the row. The file is durable once you see the checkmark — close the page and the attachment is still there.
File-size limits and supported types
Hard limit on a single upload: 20 MB. Most supplier invoices and delivery notes are under 1 MB; the limit exists to stop someone accidentally uploading a 4K video as “the receipt”.
Supported types out of the box:
- PDF (
application/pdf) — by far the most common. - Images (
image/jpeg,image/png,image/webp,image/gif,image/heic) — useful when a supplier sends a photo of a handwritten receipt. - Office documents (
application/vnd.ms-excel, the modern OOXML variants) — when a supplier sends an Excel breakdown of charges.
Files outside these types are rejected at upload with an inline error. If you need a type that isn’t on the list, raise a feature request — we’d rather expand the allowlist deliberately than open it up to anything.
Viewing and downloading
Each row in the Attachments card shows filename, size, uploader, and upload date. Click the filename to open in a new tab (PDFs and images render inline; office documents download). The overflow menu offers Download explicitly and Delete (permission-gated; only the uploader or a manager can delete).
How attachments sync across devices
When cloud sync is enabled, attachments push to the cloud after upload and pull to other devices on their next sync. On a slow connection, an unsynced attachment shows a small “syncing” indicator on its row; once it’s on the cloud, every device that pulls the parent record gets the file too.
For desktop-only stores, attachments live on the device’s local server-go data directory and stay there. They’re included in the Backup export (see System → Backup / Restore) so a drive failure doesn’t lose the paperwork.