Notion file management: choose where your files live
By Files to Notion. Updated .
Upload files to Notion when you need attachments inside a page. Link Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive when your team already shares files there. Use a local-file catalog when you want a Notion database of files that stay on your Mac or Windows PC and open in desktop applications.
Compare the three approaches
| Approach | File contents | Best fit | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native Notion upload | Stored in Notion | Attachments and supported in-page previews | Upload and preview limits depend on plan and file type |
| Cloud-storage link | Stored with your cloud provider | Sharing existing cloud files | Provider permissions and preview support still apply |
| Files to Notion | Remain on your computer; metadata goes to Notion | Cataloging folders and opening files in desktop apps | Requires the app and an available local copy; not a backup |
1. Upload files directly to Notion
Drag a file into a page or use Notion's /file command. You can also attach files to a database through a Files & media property. This is straightforward when the file should be hosted by Notion and available to people with access to that page.
Limits vary by plan and file type. Notion's documentation currently specifies a 5MB limit for uploads on the Free Plan and additional restrictions for some previews. Check the current Notion file and media documentation rather than relying on an unofficial size recommendation.
Temporary file URLs are not the same as page-sharing links
If you build an integration, Notion-hosted file objects returned by the API include temporary URLs valid for one hour. Re-fetch the file object when you need a fresh URL. This does not mean that every shared Notion page link expires in an hour. See Notion's file-object reference.
2. Link files from cloud storage
If a file already lives in Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, linking it avoids maintaining a second uploaded copy. Whether people can open or preview it depends on the provider's permissions, file format, and the integration being used. Test the actual document or video instead of assuming every embed has the same capabilities.
If the goal is to open a shared file in its desktop application, each teammate needs a local copy. Follow the Dropbox and Google Drive team workflow.
3. Keep file contents local and catalog them in Notion
Files to Notion mirrors file metadata from a selected directory into a Notion database. Entries include names, extensions, sizes, types, paths, and media duration when available. Generated links let the running desktop app open files or reveal their folders.
This suits PDFs you read locally, video assets you organize before editing, or project files you open in an installed application. Unlike uploading the documents, it does not transfer their contents into Notion. Unlike creating links individually, it catalogs a directory of files and their metadata.
Know the boundaries before you choose it
- The desktop app must be running to handle local links.
- Local links do not make a desktop file available on a phone or another computer.
- File names and paths are metadata and can still be sensitive; review database permissions.
- This is not cloud storage, backup software, or bidirectional Notion-to-file synchronization.
Try a small folder before committing
Download the free Basic Plan for one directory and 100 files. Follow the Mac and Windows opening-files guide and folder organization walkthrough. For subdirectories, filters, and shared team directories, compare the $39 one-time Extended Plan.