Upload quotas
An upload quota caps how much a person may upload in a calendar month. You set one figure for the whole workspace, and override it for individuals who need more, less, or none.
Both screens below are available to workspace administrators only. If you are not an administrator, neither is shown to you.
What counts towards a quota
Only message attachments — the files and media people send in conversations. Profile photos and group icons are excluded and never count.
The size is counted when the upload is requested, not when it finishes. Two consequences:
- An upload that is cancelled or fails part-way still counts against the month.
- Deleting a message later does not hand the bytes back. The quota measures what was uploaded in the month, not what is still stored.
The month is a UTC calendar month, and it resets on its own. There is nothing to run and nothing to clear.
The workspace default
On Workspace Settings (web: Settings → Workspace Settings; mobile: Admin tab → Workspace Settings), find Default monthly upload limit, described as "Set a default monthly upload quota for all workspace users. Can be overridden per user."
- Turn the switch on. A number field and an MB / GB selector appear.
- Type the figure and pick the unit.
- Select Save.
Turning the switch off removes the workspace limit entirely — everyone without a personal override uploads without a cap. That is also the state a brand-new workspace starts in.
A limit below 1 MB is rejected, as are zero and negative numbers.
A per-user override
Overrides live on the person, not on this screen: Settings → Users → the person → the Upload Quota section.
The section opens with what is already happening:
- The current month's usage, labelled with the month itself (for example
2026-08 usage), shown as used against the effective limit. - A bar that turns yellow past 75% and red past 90%, with the remaining figure under it.
- The line Workspace default: with whatever the workspace figure currently is, or Unlimited when there is none.
Underneath are three choices. Pick one and select Save Quota.
| Choice | Effect |
|---|---|
| Use Default | Removes any personal override. The person follows the workspace default from then on. |
| Custom | A number and MB / GB selector appear. That figure replaces the workspace default for this person. |
| Unlimited | This person uploads without a cap, even while the workspace default applies to everyone else. |
How the two interact
The rule is short: a personal override always wins, and there is only ever one number in play.
| The person has | Their limit is |
|---|---|
| No override | The workspace default |
| No override, and no workspace default | Unlimited |
| A Custom override | Their own figure — the workspace default is ignored entirely |
| An Unlimited override | No limit, whatever the workspace default says |
Overrides are not added to the workspace default and are not capped by it. A Custom override of 5 GB in a workspace whose default is 500 MB gives that person 5 GB.
Changing a limit mid-month
Changes take effect immediately, and usage already recorded for the month is kept.
- Raising a limit frees the person up straight away.
- Lowering a limit below what they have already used blocks further uploads for the rest of the month. Nothing already sent is removed.
What a member sees
Members never see this screen, but they do see the consequences:
- A small line by the message composer showing what is left, for example "50 MB left". It is hidden entirely for anyone with no limit.
- The same line reads Upload limit reached once nothing is left.
- Attempting an upload past the limit fails with a message naming the figures, in the form "Monthly upload limit reached. You've used 480 MB of your 500 MB limit."
Several files sent together are measured as one total. If the total would take the person past their limit, the whole batch is refused — not the part that fits.
Give them a Custom override large enough for the rest of the month, or Unlimited if there is no sensible figure. It applies at once; there is no need to wait for the month to turn over.