8 Things to Check When a Customer's Uploaded File Doesn't Show Up
A customer says they uploaded their artwork, and you can't find it — or an order came in without the file you expected. In almost every case the file is not lost: it is in a different list or a different storage account than the one you are looking at, its delivery is waiting for a retry, or the customer never got an upload field to begin with. Here are the eight things to check, roughly from most to least common. They are independent — jump to the one that matches what you see.
1 Look in the uploads list of the right widget
Uploads are listed per widget, not in one big inbox. Each upload widget or page in the dashboard list shows a View uploads link with a count as soon as it has received files — until then it reads No uploads yet — and the list behind it is scoped to just that widget. So a file sent through your standalone upload page will not appear under your product-page widget, and the other way round. Newest uploads sit at the top. See Find and download files customers uploaded.
2 Check the Upload health card for a stuck delivery
The dashboard opens with an Upload health card showing your delivery success rate over the last 30 days. If an upload hasn't reached your storage yet — a storage hiccup, a dropped connection — the card flags it. The app retries failed deliveries automatically every 30 minutes, and the Retry now button pushes one through immediately when you don't want to wait. A temporary glitch does not mean a lost file. The uploads guide covers it in step 5.
3 Check where that widget delivers its files
Storage destination is set per widget, so your product-page uploads and your standalone page can land in completely different places — the built-in Cloud storage, or a connected Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box or SFTP / FTP server. In the uploads list, the Uploaded column shows the date and where the files were sent. With your own storage, files go to the folder set on the widget — /FileToInbox.com by default — and every widget shows a live "files will go to" line in its settings. See Where uploaded files go.
4 Make sure the connected storage account is still connected
If you disconnect a storage account, the files already delivered stay where they are, but widgets still pointed at that account can't deliver new uploads until you reconnect it or switch their Storage destination. On the dashboard, under Connect your own storage, a working provider shows Connected, and you can Reconnect it there. With OneDrive or Box in an organization that restricts third-party apps, your Microsoft 365 or Box admin may need to approve the connection first. See the guides for Google Drive, OneDrive and Box.
5 Check that the widget is shown on that product
A customer can only upload where the upload field appears. In the widget's Products section, Show widget on is either All products or Specific products — and with Specific products, only the items ticked under Select products get the upload field. If the product that was ordered is not in that selection, the customer never saw an upload field. See Add a file upload field to Shopify product pages.
6 Re-sync if the upload field is missing from your storefront
When you save a widget, the app publishes it to your storefront and re-syncs with Shopify for you, so there is no theme code to edit. If you ever don't see the upload field on a product page where it should be, use Re-sync with Shopify on the dashboard, then open the product on your storefront to confirm the field appears above Add to cart. The widget guide covers the storefront check in step 8.
7 Was the upload optional?
In the widget's Basic settings, At least one uploaded file required decides whether a shopper must attach a file before they can check out. With it off, the upload is a nice-to-have and a customer can order without sending anything — so an order without a file may simply mean no file was uploaded. Turn it on for products that can't be made without artwork. See Add a file upload field to Shopify product pages.
8 Check where the notification email went
Every completed upload sends an alert, but maybe not to the inbox you are watching. Click Notification settings on the dashboard to see the Notification email field: it takes multiple comma-separated addresses, and if it is empty, alerts go to your shop email. A missing email does not mean a missing file — check the widget's uploads list as well. Details in Where uploaded files go.
Frequently asked questions
A customer says they uploaded a file but I can't see it — what now?
Open the dashboard and check the Upload health card first: a delivery that is stuck is flagged there, retried automatically every 30 minutes, and Retry now pushes it through immediately. Then open View uploads on the widget the customer actually used — each widget keeps its own list.
Can an uploaded file get lost?
A temporary glitch does not mean a lost file. If a file hasn't reached your storage, the app keeps retrying the delivery every 30 minutes and the Upload health card shows it until it is delivered.
How do I see which order a file belongs to?
For product-widget uploads, the uploads list has an Order column that links to View order in Shopify admin. You are prompted to authorize read-orders access the first time.
Why is there no file on an order that should have one?
Either the product is not in the widget's Specific products selection, so the customer never saw an upload field, or the upload was optional and the customer skipped it. Turn on At least one uploaded file required to make a file mandatory before checkout.
The files are not in my Google Drive, OneDrive or Box — where did they go?
Check the widget's Storage destination. It is set per widget, so this widget may still deliver to the built-in Cloud storage or to another account. The Uploaded column in the uploads list shows where each submission was sent.
How long are files kept if I never downloaded them?
Files in the built-in Cloud storage are kept for 365 days and can be downloaded from the dashboard. Files delivered to your own storage account stay there for as long as you keep them.
How can I test that uploads work end to end?
Place a test order on a product with the widget, or open your upload page, and send a file through. Confirm the notification lands in your inbox and the file appears in your chosen storage and under View uploads.
