Attach your drawings, site plans, and supporting documents to an application so the office handling your application can review them.
The Documents panel on a project, with Upload, Download and Help along the bottom. Example from a GeoCivix demo portal. Names are hidden, and your local portal may look a little different.
- Your files saved on the device you're using — not only in a cloud drive that requires a separate sign-in.
- The office's format requirements, which are shown on the upload screen.
- Accepted file types and maximum file size, both listed on the upload screen.
- A stable internet connection. Large uploads over a weak mobile signal often fail.
01 | Steps |
1 | Open your application and go to the section for documents or attachments. The Upload Files step. Select Upload Files to open the uploader. |
2 | Check which document types are being requested. Applications often list specific slots — site plan, floor plan, structural, product data — and putting a file in the right slot matters. A reviewer looking for a site plan will not go hunting through a file named scan001.pdf.Select Add Files to choose your PDFs, then Start Upload. The accepted formats and naming rules are shown on the page. |
3 | Name your files clearly before uploading. Use a name a stranger could understand: the document type, and a date or revision if relevant. Follow the naming convention shown on the upload screen if the office specifies one. Avoid special characters like #, %, &, /, and very long names. |
4 | Flatten your PDFs. Don't skip this step. A flattened PDF has its layers, comments, and form fields merged into the page image so it displays identically for everyone. Unflattened files can hide content from reviewers or break the markup tools they use. In most PDF software you flatten by using the export or print-to-PDF option rather than a plain save, or by choosing a flatten command if your software offers one. |
- Do not password-protect or encrypt the files. A locked file cannot be reviewed and will be rejected.
- Do not upload a PDF that's just photos of paper drawings taken on a phone unless the office has said that's acceptable. Text has to be legible when zoomed.
5 | Keep each drawing set as one multi-page file at a consistent page size, rather than dozens of single-page files — unless you've been told otherwise. Reviewers work through sets page by page. |
6 | Select the files and upload them. Wait for each to finish. A progress indicator that stops moving is usually a connection problem, not a frozen page. Your file is in the queue. Select Start Upload and wait for it to reach 100%. |
7 | Confirm every file appears in the list after uploading, with the size and name you expect. If a file shows as 0 bytes or with a truncated name, remove it and upload again. Uploaded files appear in the list with the date. Then select Save and Continue. |
8 | Save the application section before navigating away. |
02 | What happens next |
Uploaded files are attached to your application and become visible to reviewers once you submit or resubmit. Uploading alone does not notify anyone — if you're adding files in response to a request, you still need to complete the resubmittal step. See Responding to corrections.
Reviewers may add markups and comments to your drawings. When they do, you'll receive the marked-up version back rather than your original — always download the current copy from the portal instead of working from your own file, so you don't miss a note.
03 | If something goes wrong |
If a file still won't go up, contact the office handling your application using the contact details on your portal. Have your application number, the file name, the file size, and the exact error message ready — those four things usually resolve it on the first call.
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