Uploading and Managing Files

Efficient file management is crucial for maintaining organisation and ensuring smooth workflow processes in Willow360. This guide walks you through the steps for uploading and managing files within the platform.

Uploading Files

Willow360 offers several methods for uploading files.

1. Web Upload

Files can be uploaded to an inbox or directly to a workflow.

To upload to an inbox, use the Upload button in the inbox list or drag files directly into the inbox area. If a file is invalid, it will be shown in red with a tooltip explaining the error. Valid files in the same upload group will still be uploaded even if some are rejected.

To upload directly to a workflow, drag files onto the workflow tile or click the large plus button in the bottom right corner of the tile. When uploading directly to a workflow, if any single file in the batch is invalid the entire batch is rejected, so check your files before uploading.

File size limits:

Maximum file size for all uploads: 100MB.
Maximum file size for workflows containing file-modifying actions such as Stamp, Watermark, WillowSign, Redact, Highlight, Simple Sign, Digital Certificate, Auto Sign, Merge, Split, or Booklet actions: 20MB.

2. Email Upload

Every inbox and workflow has a unique email address. Send an email with files attached to the relevant address and they will be added automatically. Files emailed to an inbox form a single upload group. Files emailed directly to a workflow start processing immediately as a single job.

The email address for each inbox is shown in the inbox subtitle. The email address for a workflow is shown in the Workflow Detailed View.

Note that team inbox and general inbox email addresses can be disabled by an administrator. Workflows that use the Fill in a Form action do not have an email address and cannot accept files by email.

3. Scan Upload

Scanned files can be forwarded to Willow360 automatically using the Collector App. The scanner is configured to save files to a folder on a computer. The Collector App monitors that folder and forwards files to the configured Willow360 inbox or workflow.

To set up Collector, download the app from the link provided in the Collectors panel in Organisation Settings. During installation, a one-time security token is required. This token is generated by adding the device through the Collectors panel and is shown only once.

The Collector App processes files in its watched folder every 30 seconds.

Managing Files

1. Inboxes

Personal Inbox: files here are visible only to you. Use it to stage files before sending them to a workflow.

Team Inbox: shared with team members. All team members can see each other's files in the inbox. The team inbox can be filtered to show files uploaded by you only or by all team members.

General Inbox: accessible to all users in the organisation. Use it for files that need to be shared or processed organisation-wide.

Files in inboxes can be selected and added to a workflow. All selected files will form a single processing job.

2. File History

Every file in Willow360 has a detailed history recording every action performed on it, including when it was uploaded, what workflow actions were applied, who approved or signed it, any comments added, and whether it was downloaded or replaced. The file history provides a full audit trail and is always accessible from the File View.

3. File Actions

The following actions are available from the File View:

Comment: add a comment to the file's history. Available to anyone who can see the file, even after deletion.

Download: download the current version of the file to your device. Available to anyone who can see the file.

Retry: if a file has failed at a workflow action or been rejected in an approval, the person who added the file can use Retry to attempt the action again without repeating earlier steps.

Replace: if a file has been rejected in an approval, the person who added it can upload a corrected version. If a file is at a Custom Task step, the task performer can replace the file with a version they have modified outside Willow360. Replaced versions are recorded in the file history.

Delete: removes the file. Deleted files cannot be recovered. Deleted files are removed from inbox lists but their history entries remain accessible.

Add to Workflow: available for unassigned inbox files. Adds the selected file or files to a workflow of your choice as a single job.

4. File Retention

Completed workflow files are automatically deleted by Willow360 after 30 days. If a workflow has the Delete Completed Files Immediately setting enabled, files are deleted as soon as the workflow completes. The file history entry remains accessible after deletion but the file itself and its preview are no longer available.

Best Practices for File Management

Use consistent file naming: where files are renamed manually before uploading, consistent naming conventions make them easier to find and organise. Consider using the Rename action within workflows to apply naming rules automatically.

Keep inboxes tidy: periodically review files sitting in inboxes that have not been added to a workflow. Unassigned files can accumulate and make it harder to find what you need.

Use cloud storage actions for long-term retention: Willow360 is a processing platform, not a permanent file store. Always ensure workflows include an upload action to store processed files in SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox for long-term access.

Protect sensitive documents: use the Digital Certificate action to seal finalised documents and the Redact action to permanently remove sensitive content before sharing or archiving.