PulseFile size limits
The limits on files you can upload, and how to have them raised.
This sets out the limits that apply when you add material to a folder or attach a file in chat. Where an upload fails, work out whether you have hit a limit or the traffic is being stopped by your network.
Three limits apply: the total size per folder, the size of an individual file, and the number of files per folder. Exceeding any one of them stops the upload completing. When you get an error, work out which limit you have hit first.
The current limits
| Item | Current limit | Previous limit |
|---|---|---|
| Total size per folder | 1 GB | 50 MB |
| Size of an individual file | 30 MB | 5 MB |
| Number of files per folder | 200 | 20 |
The right-hand column shows the values before the increase. Since you can now keep more material together in one folder, there is no longer any need to add folders purely to spread the volume. Where an old internal guide still says 50 MB or 5 MB, read it as the current limit instead.
Where the limits above differ by plan, add the per-plan values to the table. This article carries only the values stated in the source material.
What you see when you hit a limit
Trying to add a file that exceeds a limit stops the upload completing and shows an error. What to do depends on which of these it is.
- An individual file is over 30 MB — the file itself has to be made smaller.
- The folder total is close to 1 GB — delete files you no longer need from that folder, or split them across another one.
- The folder has reached 200 files — that is the file-count limit. Split the folder by purpose.
To work out which it is, check the size of the files you have. How you do that depends on your operating system.
Select the file in Finder and choose File > Get Info (command + I) to see its size. Selecting several files together and doing the same shows the combined size. To see a folder's total, select the folder and get info on it.
How to use folders and spaces is explained in Spaces and folders.
Working with large files
- PDFs shrink considerably if you delete pages you do not need, or re-export them at a lower image resolution. Scanned paper documents benefit most.
- In presentation decks, embedded video and high-resolution images usually account for most of the size. Replace those parts, or pull just the parts you need out into a separate file.
- Spreadsheets get lighter if you delete old sheets you do not refer to.
- Bundling files into an archive does not help where the content has to be read. Making each file smaller is the reliable approach.
Where an upload fails for another reason
Where you are within the limits and the upload still does not complete, it may be being stopped by your corporate network. The most common cause with file transfers is a per-request size limit configured on a proxy or web filtering product. Where small files go through but anything over a few MB fails, suspect that limit. Some organisations block sending files to external services altogether as a data-loss measure; in that case everything other than file operations works normally.
To narrow it down, try the same file on a different network, such as tethering to a mobile connection. If it succeeds there, your corporate network is the cause. How to recognise blocking by endpoint protection products, which destinations to allow, and a template request for your IT department are all in Network and allowlists.
Things worth checking before you upload
The contents of files you add to a folder or to chat are passed to AI processing in order to generate answers. Where you are working with material covered by a confidentiality agreement with a client, unannounced personnel information, or material containing customers' personal data, check against your internal rules and your contracts whether it may be processed by an external service.
Where you handle files containing personal data, the Act on the Protection of Personal Information requires that you do not go beyond the purpose of use specified in advance, and that you supervise your processors. For how to think about this, see Security and privacy FAQ.
Asking about raising a limit
Where the current limits are not enough for your work, get in touch at tharada@the-unchain.com. Tell us what it is for and how much you need, and we will check what is possible and come back to you.
Establish where you stand
Work out which limit you are hitting (total size, individual file size, or file count) and what you are currently using.
Decide the figures you need
Estimate, in concrete numbers, how far the limit needs to go up. Note too whether you need it temporarily or on an ongoing basis.
Get in touch
Contact tharada@the-unchain.com with the information below.
The information to include is as follows.
- Your workspace name and the folder concerned
- The limit you are hitting, and the figure you need
- What the files are used for in your work
- Whether this is a temporary need or an ongoing one
- When you need it by
The source material does not say whether limits can be raised by plan, who to apply to, whether there is an extra cost, or how long a change takes to come through. Settle the wording of this section against UNCHAIN, Inc.'s actual practice. Please check with the sales and support teams before writing anything definitive. Being ready to suggest alternatives where a limit cannot be raised (splitting folders, splitting files) also reduces the number of enquiries.
If none of this resolves it
Where you are within the limits and still cannot upload, contact tharada@the-unchain.com. Including the following helps us investigate faster.
- The file format and size, and the number of files
- Where you are adding them (the folder name, or whether it is an attachment in chat)
- The error message shown on screen (in its exact wording, if there is one)
- The result of trying on a different network (tethering, for example)
- Your network environment (corporate LAN, VPN or not, proxy or not)
- The date and time it failed (in a form that shows the time zone)
- Your operating system and version, and the Pulse app version