Where the Documents section on an item handles Word-template-driven generated documents (Staff Reports, Resolutions, etc. — see Generating Documents from Templates on an Item), the Attachments section handles everything else: PDFs, images, presentations, supporting exhibits, maps, certified copies, supplementary materials. Anything you have as a file and want to associate with the item ends up here.

This article walks through the Attachments section: how it's organized by Attachment Type, the upload flow (drag-drop, type selection, security level), drag-reorder, the "Uncategorized Attachments" catch-all, and what attachments look like once they're attached.

On any item display page (/legislative-items/[id]), scroll past the Documents and Public Documents sections to the Attachments section. It has a paperclip icon.

The Attachments section is always available on items — no subscription module is required. Unlike Documents (which requires the Word Integration module), attachments work for every government.

The Attachments section is divided into blocks, one per Attachment Type configured on this item's item type, plus a final Uncategorized Attachments block as a catch-all.

For example, a Resolution item type might have these blocks:

Each block shows:

The catch-all at the bottom of the section. Holds files that:

The Uncategorized block always exists, even when empty. It's a safety net so files never get orphaned.

Some Attachment Types are configured as required on the item type. The block shows a red Required badge when empty. If submission is attempted with required attachment blocks still empty, the Submit For Review validation will surface the missing-attachment requirement.

For details on configuring Attachment Types, see Managing Attachment Types in the admin docs.

At the bottom of the Attachments section, the Upload Block has the upload UI.

IMAGE: The Upload Block showing the dropzone and the per-file configuration list.

Drag and drop files onto the dropzone, or click to open a file picker. Multiple files can be selected at once.

Supported file types: anything. Govinity stores any file type — PDFs, Word documents, Excel files, images, videos, presentations, ZIP archives. Govinity doesn't restrict by extension; you upload, you store, you reference.

Max file size: 100 MB per file. Larger files are rejected by the uploader. For very large files (videos, GIS data), consider hosting externally and uploading a reference document instead.

For each file added to the dropzone, a row appears below with editable per-file metadata:

The dropdown shows:

The dropdown auto-filters to types relevant to your item type. Attachment Types configured for other item types don't appear here.

Same three-tier model as elsewhere in Govinity:

Most attachments will be Public (the file is intended to be public) or Internal (the file is internal documentation, not for citizens). Confidential and Restricted are for sensitive supplemental materials.

The default name comes from the original filename. Customize for clarity:

Citizens see attachment names on the public portal (when the item is on a published agenda), so make the names readable and informative.

When you click Upload (or the action that starts the upload), the uploader:

You don't have to keep the page open during upload, but Govinity needs the browser to confirm the upload completed — so plan to wait until the batch finishes before navigating away.

Once attachments are in their blocks, you can:

Each attachment block supports drag-and-drop reordering. Grab the grip handle on any attachment row and drag up or down to reposition.

The order persists across staff and public views — so put the most important attachments first in each block. Useful for agendas where attachments are presented in a specific reading order.

Click an attachment row (or its edit affordance) to update:

A view or download action on each row opens the attachment in a new browser tab (for browser-renderable files like PDFs and images) or triggers a download (for other file types).

Each attachment has a delete action (trash icon) with a confirmation prompt. Deletion is permanent — the file is removed from Govinity's storage. Plan accordingly.

For attachments associated with workflows or public agendas, deletion may affect downstream flows (e.g., the Agenda Package PDF may need to be regenerated).

A few patterns that come up:

"I have 5 PDF exhibits for this item; let me upload them all." Drag all 5 PDFs onto the dropzone. Pick Exhibits as the Attachment Type for each (or use a default that gets applied to all). Set Security Level Public. Click Upload. The 5 files appear in the Exhibits block, ready to be reordered.

"I want to attach a 200 MB GIS dataset." Too large to upload directly — the 100 MB cap blocks it. Either: upload a reference document with a link to where the GIS data lives, or contact Govinity support about a special upload path.

"I need to update an attachment file but keep its place in the order." Delete the old attachment, upload the new one with the same metadata, and drag it to the same position.

"This attachment was put in the wrong block." Edit the attachment's Type, picking the correct one from the dropdown.

"I have a signed copy of the resolution to attach after the meeting." Upload as Public Notice (or whatever type makes sense), Security Level Public, named clearly ("Resolution 2025-42 Signed Copy"). The attachment will appear on the public portal alongside the agenda materials.

"I want to attach an old document but it's still in Word format." Convert to PDF first for best public-portal display, then upload.

Can I upload Word documents to Attachments? Yes — any file type works. But for documents that should integrate with the item's substance (Staff Report, Resolution), use the Documents section with its template-based Word integration instead. Save Attachments for supplementary files (exhibits, presentations, signed copies).

What's the difference between Documents and Attachments? Documents = templated Word files generated from Govinity Document Templates (Staff Report, Resolution, etc.). They're authored in the item's workflow and have rich features like Sync values, Assign Number, and Publish/Unpublish. Attachments = uploaded files (any format) that supplement the item. Drag-drop with basic metadata.

Can I bulk-publish attachments? Not in bulk. Each attachment has its own visibility (controlled by Security Level + the item's agenda publish state). For making attachments publicly visible, the item itself needs to be on a published agenda.

What happens to attachments when the item is closed? Closed items keep their attachments. Attachments remain accessible (and on the public portal if the item was on a published agenda).

Can I add attachments after the item is in Review? Depends on field-level workflow permissions (see Why Your Form Looks Different Right Now). Some workflow steps allow attachment editing; some don't.

Can I copy attachments from one item to another? When you Copy Item (see Copying, Restoring, and Changing an Item's Status), you can opt to copy attachments along with the item. Otherwise, attachments are item-specific.

How long are attachments stored? Indefinitely. Storage is part of your subscription.

Can citizens see all my attachments? Citizens see attachments only when: 1. The item is on a published agenda, AND 2. The attachment's Security Level is Public.

Internal, Confidential, or Restricted attachments are never publicly visible.

If an attachment upload fails repeatedly, check the file size (100 MB max) and try a fresh upload. If a required block won't clear its red badge, make sure the file is actually attached (not just sitting in the upload queue). For anything else, reach out to Govinity support.