How I manage client files in monday.com without downloading and re-uploading everything
Key takeaways
- What is wrong with download-optimize-reupload?
- It detaches the file from its item's comment thread and activity log, it is slow, and it does not scale. On a busy client board it can eat an hour a day.
- What replaces it?
- A File Compress recipe that compresses files where they already sit. It reads a file from the Files column, compresses it on the server, and writes the result back to the same item — no local copy.
- How do I keep the client's original?
- Point the recipe's target column at a different Files column from the source. The original stays put and the compressed copy lands in a column you use for sharing.
- Can I hand a client everything at once?
- Yes. A Zip Files recipe bundles a whole column into one archive on the item, so the client gets a single download.
Managing client files in monday.com used to mean a tab-switching ritual: download the file, open it in an editor, export a smaller copy, delete the original from the board, upload the new one, hope nobody was mid-comment on it. I built File Compress partly to stop doing that. Here is the workflow now.
Why the download-reupload loop is worse than it looks
The obvious cost is time. The hidden cost is that every re-upload is a new file object. The activity log still shows the item, but the comment where the client said "the logo on page 3 is too small" was attached to a file that no longer exists. On a board with 40 active client items, that erosion adds up fast.
What I want instead
- The file stays the same file, on the same item, in the same column
- Compression happens without the bytes touching my machine
- The client's original is recoverable if I need it
The on-board workflow
- Client uploads files to the Client Uploads column (via a form, email-to-board, or directly).
- A File Compress recipe compresses images and PDFs in place on upload.
- When I need to send something back, a second recipe (target column set to Share) puts a compressed copy in Share, leaving the original in Client Uploads untouched.
- For a full handoff, a Zip Files recipe bundles Share into one archive the client downloads in a click.
The numbers on my client boards
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Time per file to optimize | 3–5 min (download, edit, re-upload) | 0 (runs on a trigger) |
| Item history integrity | Broken on every re-upload | Preserved |
| Storage per client board | Baseline | ~45% lower |
When I still download
Almost never for optimization. I download when a client explicitly needs a file outside monday.com and cannot use a shared link — and even then I usually just zip the column and send that.
The short version
Stop downloading files to shrink them. A File Compress recipe compresses in place on the item, keeps history intact, and can save compressed copies to a separate column so client originals stay safe. Bundle handoffs with a Zip Files recipe. See the setup guide.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I compress a client's file without downloading it?
- Add a File Compress recipe on the client board — a compress-on-upload trigger, or a button you click per item. The file is processed on AWS and the smaller version is uploaded back to the column you choose.
- Does the file stay attached to the same item?
- Yes. The compressed file goes to the item and column the recipe targets, so the comment thread, mentions, and activity log stay connected to it.
- What if the client uploaded ten files to one item?
- One recipe run processes every supported file in the source column on that item. An on-upload trigger handles them as they arrive.
- Is it safe for confidential client files?
- Files are processed in memory on AWS and deleted immediately after the compressed version is written back. Nothing is stored. See the privacy policy for the full data flow.
- Can I do this for every client board at once?
- Install once at the account level, then add the recipe to each client board — or to your client board template so new boards inherit it.
Zack
File Compress Developer at ColumnMate. Writes about file management, storage, and automation inside monday.com.
Related reading
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