File Management Feature Spec Template

For file attachment features (attaching files to tasks, comments, or records), build it yourself using a cloud storage backend (S3, GCS). The upload, storage, and download mechanics are straightforward. For a full document management system with previews, versioning, collaboration, and search-inside-files, evaluate services like Box, Dropbox for Business, or specialized APIs like Filestack. Building a full DMS from scratch takes 6-12 months of focused engineering.

Use multipart uploads. Split the file into 5-10MB chunks on the client, upload each chunk to a pre-signed URL, and reassemble on the server. This enables resume-on-failure (only re-upload failed chunks) and progress tracking per chunk. AWS S3 and GCS both support multipart uploads natively. Show a progress bar with estimated time remaining. Allow users to navigate away and resume later.

Block executable files (.exe, .bat, .sh, .cmd, .msi, .app) and script files (.js, .vbs, .ps1) by default. These pose security risks when shared between users. Also consider blocking very large archives (.zip > 1GB) that could be used for storage abuse. Allow admins to customize the blocklist for their workspace. Always scan allowed files for malware before making them accessible.

Ten versions or 30 days (whichever is greater) is a practical default. Unlimited version history sounds appealing but creates storage cost problems at scale. Let Enterprise customers configure higher limits. Always keep at least the current version and one previous version. Make it clear in the UI how many versions are available and when old versions will be purged.

No. Reclaim quota immediately on deletion, even while the file sits in trash. If trash files count toward quota, users who are near their limit cannot delete files to free space (because the "deleted" files still consume quota). This creates a frustrating catch-22. Treat trash as a grace period for recovery, not as active storage. ---