Overview
A File Question lets the User attach a file as their answer to a Checklist question. Where a Photo Question captures a new image with the device camera, a File Question accepts a file the User already has — a supplier certificate, a lab report, a scanned form, a calibration record — and stores it on the Result. You can leave it open to any file type, or restrict it to the extensions you expect.
Users must be Super Users or have the following Role to add or edit Checklist questions:
Checklists: Modify or Create
Why this matters: Plenty of evidence arrives as a document rather than something you can photograph — a third-party inspection certificate, a water-test result, a manufacturer's sign-off. Before, that document lived in an email or a shared drive, disconnected from the check it proved. A File Question attaches it directly to the Result, so the evidence and the inspection that required it stay together.
How Users answer a File Question
Understanding how the question behaves for the User is what determines where you should place it in a Checklist.
One file per question — a File Question holds a single attachment. If a check needs several documents, add a File Question for each one.
An answer is required — like other question types, the User must attach a file before the Checklist can be completed. There's no skip.
Heads-up: Because the question can't be skipped, a User with no file to hand can't complete the Checklist. Only add a File Question where you're confident the document will be available at the time of the check.
Best practice: Use logic to reveal the File Question only when a document is genuinely expected — for example only when a preceding Select question confirms a certificate was issued. That keeps the requirement enforced where it matters without blocking Users on checks where no file exists. The same approach handles multiple documents: a File Question per document, each shown only when relevant.
Note: A maximum file size applies to attachments, and it isn't displayed on the question itself. If Users are likely to attach large files, state the expectation in the question's Explanatory Text so they find out before they're standing at the ride trying to upload.
Adding a File Question
1. Open the Checklist editor
Go to Checklists in the Mobaro Backend and open or create a Checklist.
2. Add the element
Click Add an element and choose File Question, then enter a Title and optional Explanatory Text.
Best practice: Name the Title after the exact document you expect — Annual load-test certificate reads far better than Upload file. Use Explanatory Text to state who issues the document and how recent it must be, so the right file is attached the first time.
Restricting which file types can be attached
By default a File Question accepts any file type. If you only want a particular format — a PDF certificate, for example — list the extensions you'll accept under Allowed file extensions in the question's Question Configuration panel. The setting applies to that question alone, so different questions on the same Checklist can accept different formats.
1. Open Question Configuration
With the File Question selected in the Checklist editor, open the Question Configuration panel and find Allowed file extensions.
2. Add an extension
Type the extension into Add extension (e.g. json) and click Add. Enter it without a leading dot — type pdf, not .pdf. It then appears in the list below, displayed with the dot.
Heads-up: The field accepts whatever you type, so a misspelled extension is added exactly as entered. An extension that doesn't match the file's real one will stop Users attaching it — check the spelling before saving.
3. Add as many as you need, or remove one
Repeat for every format you want to accept. To remove an extension, click the bin icon on its row. Save the Checklist when you're done, and reopen the question to confirm the list reads as you intended.
Note: The list is an allow list, despite the column being labelled Restricted extensions — those are the extensions the file picker is restricted to. Anything you list can be attached; anything you don't list can't. Leave the list empty to allow all file types.
Best practice: Restrict to the format you actually intend to review. Limiting a certificate question to pdf keeps the file picker tidy on the device and stops someone attaching a photo of a document where the document itself was wanted. Where the source format varies — a supplier who emails Word files, say — list every acceptable extension rather than leaving the User stuck.
Settings compatibility
Setting | Available? | Notes |
Allowed file extensions | Yes | Set per question. Empty allows all file types; listed extensions restrict the file picker to those formats. |
Multiple files per question | No | One attachment per question. Add a File Question for each document required. |
Reference Images, Manuals, Videos, Links | Yes | Attach guidance on which document is expected and where to obtain it. |
Question Categories | Yes | Group document-evidence questions for reporting. |
Logic | Yes | Show the question only when a document is actually required — the way to avoid blocking Users who have no file. |
Triggers | No | An attached file has no fixed value to test a condition against, the same as Photo and Signature. See Adding triggers to a Checklist. |
Frequently asked questions
Q: Can a File Question be answered on the web?
A: No. Files can only be attached from the Mobile App. The question is configured in the Mobaro Backend, but answered on a phone or tablet.
Q: Can a User attach more than one file?
A: Each File Question holds one attachment. For several documents, add a File Question for each — and use logic so only the relevant ones appear.
Q: Can a User skip the question if they don't have a file?
A: No — an answer is required before the Checklist can be completed. Use logic to show the question only when a document is expected, so Users aren't blocked on checks where none exists.
Q: Which file types can Users attach?
A: Any file type, unless you restrict it. Add extensions under Allowed file extensions in the question's Question Configuration panel to limit the file picker to those formats; leave the list empty to allow everything.
Q: Do I type the extension with a dot?
A: No — enter it without the leading dot (pdf, json). The list displays it with a dot once added.
Q: Do extension restrictions apply to the whole Checklist?
A: No, they're set per question. Two File Questions on the same Checklist can accept different formats.
Q: Is there a limit on file size?
A: Yes, a maximum size applies and isn't shown on the question. Where large files are likely, note the expectation in the question's Explanatory Text.
Q: How is this different from a Photo Question?
A: A Photo Question requires a new photo captured with the device camera at the moment of the check. A File Question accepts an existing file. Use Photo for proof of condition, File for supporting documentation.
Q: Can a File Question raise an Assignment automatically?
A: No — it doesn't support triggers, as there's no fixed answer to evaluate. Pair it with a Select question (for example, Certificate current? Yes / No) and trigger from that instead.
Q: A User sees "Unsupported Question" instead of the file field.
A: Their Mobile App is out of date and doesn't recognize this Question Type yet. Updating the app restores it — see Unsupported question when completing a checklist.
Q: Where does the attached file end up?
A: The file is stored on the Result for the completed Checklist, alongside the rest of the answers.