SlabOS Help & Tutorials

Jobs, scheduling & billing

Organize files and preview PDFs

Use folders, PDF thumbnails and visibility controls on jobs, quotes and accounts.

9 min read · For Office users and crew leads · Reviewed 2026-09-12

Watch the video walkthrough (14:12)

Before you start

  • Open the job, quote or account the file belongs to. Linked job and quote files can appear together, but a file keeps its original owning record.
  • Check the accepted formats and 50 MB per-file limit shown by the uploader. Have the documents or photos ready on your device.
  • Use an account with the required Files permissions. Moving and deleting files are separate permissions.

1Find Files on the right record

On a job, choose Files in the Jump to strip. Quotes and accounts also have Files sections. Check the record heading before adding or moving a document.

A linked quote file may appear on its job, and job files may appear on the quote. Visibility in the list does not transfer ownership: a folder destination must belong to the file's original job, quote or account.

2Create folders and follow breadcrumbs

Click New Folder, enter a name and press Enter. Wait for it to save before opening it. Create another folder inside it when you need a nested structure.

Use the breadcrumb to move up a level, or Files to return to root. Your shop can define default folder paths for new records in Settings → Defaults; check existing folders before adding similar names.

3Rename or delete a folder

Use Rename folder beside the folder to change its name. Folder counts distinguish directly contained folders from the total files, including nested contents; hover over a count for its explanation.

Delete folder removes that folder and its subfolders. Their files are preserved at Files root, as the confirmation states. This does not delete the documents or remove a file's separate phase assignment. Cancel if you intended to rename or move something.

4Organize files for a job phase

When creating a folder on a job with phases, use the phase picker to file it under a phase. A nested folder defaults to its parent's phase. The phase label helps identify it in the whole-job list.

Open the phase's Files section to work within that phase. Uploads made directly there are assigned to the phase; files inside a phase folder also appear within that folder. Check both the folder and the phase before uploading.

5Stage an upload batch

Open the destination folder, click Upload and choose one or more files, or drag files into the upload area. They appear in a pending list. Adding another batch appends it to that list.

Enter a description and review the category for each pending file. Use a row's X to remove it from the pending batch, or Cancel to clear the batch before uploading. These actions do not delete files already saved on the record.

6Upload and retry only failed files

Click Upload All. The percentage reports transfer progress; Saving means the server is storing the file. Wait for saved rows to appear. Pending descriptions, categories, visibility and Cancel are locked while the current batch runs.

If part of the batch fails, successfully saved files leave the pending list. Failed files keep their descriptions and remain ready to retry. Files added during the active upload wait for the next batch. Resolve the reported problem, retry and reopen the record to check the saved result.

7Choose list or tile view

Use Tile view for a visual overview, then Small, Medium or Large to change tile size. Return to List view for saved descriptions, Crew controls and individual folder pickers.

List, tile size and thumbnail preferences stay in this browser. On a narrow screen, scroll the file table sideways to reach its controls. Changing the view does not move or share files.

8Preview and download a PDF

In List view, enable Show image and PDF thumbnails. Tile view displays previews directly. A PDF thumbnail shows its first page only; it is a quick identifier for the document.

Click the PDF filename to open the complete file in a new tab. Use your browser's PDF page and zoom controls to review it; the controls may differ by device. Download file saves a copy to your computer. A thumbnail is separate from the generated quote or template Preview used to check printed pagination.

9Inspect photos in the gallery

Click an image to open the gallery. Next photo, Previous photo and the arrow keys move through images in the current folder. PDFs are not gallery photos.

Use Zoom in and Zoom out, the mouse wheel or supported touch gestures to inspect detail. Drag an enlarged photo to pan. The percentage control resets to fit; changing photos also resets the view. Double-click toggles 2× zoom. Keyboard + and − adjust zoom, and 0 resets it. Close or Escape exits the gallery.

10Edit a saved description

In List view, click the description or + add description. Press Enter or leave the field to save. Escape cancels the edit. Clear the text to remove the description, then reload if you want to verify it saved.

The uploaded filename remains unchanged. A saved category is displayed as a badge; choose the category while staging an upload.

11Move one file

Use the file's Move to folder picker in List view and choose a destination on its owning record. Open the destination to confirm the file arrived.

You can also drag a file onto a folder tile, or onto the Files breadcrumb to return it to root. Moving organizes the file without renaming its original document.

12Move several files and read partial results

Click Select files and tick the documents to move, or use the selection controls for the current group. Choose Move selected files to, then click Move selected. A selection can contain up to 100 files. Changing folders clears it.

A bulk operation may succeed for some files and fail for others. Failed files stay selected with their individual errors. For example, a linked quote file cannot move into a folder owned by its job. Open the original record and choose a valid destination. If the operation could not be confirmed, refresh the list before retrying.

13Review document and photo visibility separately

On jobs, On Portal adds a file to the customer's document list. Crew includes a non-image document in the crew app's Files section. Use List view to inspect both controls.

Photo galleries follow separate category and display rules. Turning a document toggle off does not necessarily hide a photo. Review your shop's gallery settings and the actual customer or crew view before treating a file as hidden. These job-specific document controls are not offered on quote and account file lists.

14Read customer acknowledgements and disputes

An acknowledged or disputed file displays a status badge in place of its ordinary portal toggle. Hover for details and read the dispute reason when the customer flagged a problem.

Review and correct the document as needed. A file acknowledgement is separate from quote acceptance and from the complete template-signoff workflow.

15Take and review several photos

Click Take photos and allow camera access. The viewfinder stays open between shutter presses. Captured shots appear in its thumbnail strip; tap a thumbnail's remove control to discard an unwanted shot. A torch control appears only on supported devices.

Choose Done when the remaining shots are ready. They return to the pending upload list, where you can review descriptions and categories. Click Upload All to save them, then open a saved image to check its framing. Closing or cancelling the camera discards that unfinished capture batch.

16Recover camera access

If the camera cannot start, check browser permission and use the visible Use native camera fallback where available. Device behavior varies; Upload also lets you select an existing photo.

When a call, lock or app switch interrupts the camera, capture may be disabled and Restart camera appears. Restart and check the live image before taking another shot.

17Delete only the intended files

Use Delete file for one document, or select files and choose Delete selected. Read the confirmation and review the selected count. Cancel if the document or selection is wrong: file deletion is permanent.

Per-file delete is disabled for users without Files Delete permission, and bulk delete is unavailable. Ask an owner to review the role if access is needed.

18Start a drawing approval when needed

Select files to send for approval in the whole-job Files section opens the PDF picker. Follow Prepare fixtures and template signoffs for the full review and customer workflow.

Organizing files alone does not send an email. System emails use the SlabOS mailing engine by default. Gmail or Outlook is used for system emails only when the mailbox is connected and Send system emails as me is enabled.

Check the result

  • Reopen the record and confirm each intended file appears once in the correct folder or phase.
  • Open the document or photo at a readable size and check the saved description.
  • Verify the intended customer or crew view, including its separate photo-gallery rules.

If something looks wrong

  • An encrypted, damaged or unavailable PDF may show the fallback file icon. Open or download the original to check it; request a readable replacement if that also fails.
  • For a partial upload failure, inspect the error and retry the remaining pending files. For an unconfirmed bulk action, refresh before retrying.
  • A linked file's destination must belong to its original record. Being visible in the job list does not make a quote file job-owned.
  • If an action is outside the visible width on a phone, scroll the file table sideways. Use List view for controls not offered on tiles.