The Files tab on a client record is a dedicated file exchange space between your firm and that client. Your team can upload documents for the client to view and download. Clients can upload documents to your firm at any time — not just during an onboarding step. Everything lives in one organised place.
This is distinct from checklist file fields. Checklist fields are for structured document collection during a specific onboarding workflow — the items a client must provide before work starts. The Files tab is for the ongoing document relationship: tax season deliverables, signed copies, invoices, supplemental requests, and anything else that does not belong to a single checklist step.
Accessing the Files tab
Open any client record and click the Files tab. The tab lists:
- Files your firm has uploaded for this client
- Files the client has uploaded from their portal
- Folders your firm has created to organise them
- For each file: name, file size, who uploaded it, upload date, and visibility status
Uploading files as the firm
Uploading a file
- Click Upload file
- Select the file — any file type, up to 50 MB per file
- The file is uploaded to encrypted cloud storage and appears in your list immediately
After upload, the file defaults to visible in the client portal. Use the visibility toggle if you need to hold it before sharing.
File visibility
Each file row has a visibility toggle — the eye icon. When visibility is on, the file appears in the client's Files tab. When off, only your firm can see it.
Use this to:
- Prepare a draft document before sharing it with the client
- Keep internal reference materials (working notes, internal drafts) out of the client view
- Temporarily hide a file during a revision cycle without deleting it
Toggling visibility does not move or delete the file. It changes only what the client can see in their portal.
File metadata shown to the firm
Each file row shows:
- Name — the original filename at upload
- Size — file size in KB or MB
- Uploaded by — the name of the team member who uploaded the file, or "Uploaded by client" for client-initiated uploads
- Date — the date and time of upload
- Visibility — whether the file is currently visible to the client
Organising files with folders
The Files tab supports named folders — for example, "Tax Documents 2025", "Signed Agreements", "Invoices", or "Correspondence". Folders are per-client. All folders are single-level; you cannot nest a folder inside another folder.
Creating a folder
- Click New folder
- Enter a name for the folder
- Click Save
The folder appears in the file list. It is empty until you move files into it or upload directly to it.
Moving a file into a folder
- Find the file in the list
- Open the file menu (three-dot icon in the file row)
- Click Move to folder
- Select the destination folder
You can move files between folders or back to the root level (no folder) at any time.
Deleting a folder
Warning: Deleting a folder permanently deletes all files inside it. This cannot be undone. Before deleting a folder, move any files you want to keep to another folder or to the root level. Only delete the folder once you have confirmed you no longer need its contents.
- Open the folder menu (three-dot icon on the folder row)
- Click Delete folder
- Confirm the deletion
Soft-deleting files
When your firm deletes a file:
- The file is removed from the client's portal view immediately
- The file is soft-deleted on the firm side — it is not permanently destroyed and can be recovered
- To recover a soft-deleted file, contact support with the client ID and filename
Clients cannot delete files your firm has uploaded. Clients can manage only files they uploaded themselves.
What clients see
Clients access the Files tab in their portal dashboard. The tab shows every file your firm has shared with client visibility on, and every file the client has uploaded themselves. Hidden files and deleted files never appear in the client view.
Clients can:
- Download any file your firm has shared with them
- Upload files to your firm at any time
Clients cannot:
- See files your firm has marked as hidden
- See files belonging to other clients
- Delete or overwrite files your firm uploaded
- Access any file outside their own scoped path
Client uploads
Clients can upload files from their portal at any time without a specific checklist field or prompt. To upload, the client opens the Files tab in their portal, clicks Upload, and selects a file from their device.
After a client uploads a file:
- The file appears immediately in the firm's Files tab for that client
- The file row shows "Uploaded by client" in the Uploaded by column
- Your team receives a notification that the client has uploaded a new file
The same 50 MB per file limit applies to client uploads.
Cloud storage sync
If you have connected Google Drive or Dropbox in Settings → Integrations, new files uploaded through the shared file exchange can be copied automatically to the configured cloud folder.
The current sync is outbound from SwiftChecklist to your connected storage. Files added directly inside Google Drive or Dropbox do not appear back inside the shared file exchange automatically.
See Connect your stack for instructions on configuring cloud sync.
File exchange vs checklist file fields
| Checklist file fields | Shared file exchange | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Structured document collection during onboarding | Ongoing file sharing throughout the relationship |
| Timing | Client provides files as part of a specific checklist step | Any time during or after onboarding |
| Client sees it | Inside the checklist as a step to complete | Separate Files tab in the portal |
| Typical use | Photo ID, engagement letter, bank statements, signed intake forms | Invoices, completed deliverables, tax-season documents, ad hoc requests, correspondence |
| Completion tracking | Tied to checklist progress | Not tied to a completion status |
Use checklist fields for the intake requirements — the specific documents you will not start work without. Use the file exchange for everything else.
Security
Client isolation: Each client's file exchange is scoped to that client only. Clients cannot browse or retrieve files that belong to other clients.
Authorized downloads: Shared files are delivered through authorized, short-lived download access rather than public permanent URLs.
Encryption: Files are protected in transit and at rest.
Visibility enforcement: Hidden files remain firm-only and do not appear in the client portal.
Continue with
- Client portal — how clients access and navigate their portal
- Client records — managing client information and engagement history
- Connect your stack — setting up cloud storage sync for automatic file sync