How to reduce monday.com file storage usage
Key takeaways
- What uses the most storage in monday.com?
- Files columns — specifically full-resolution photos, design exports, and un-optimized PDFs attached to items. Updates and board data are tiny by comparison.
- What is the fastest way to reduce storage usage?
- Add a status-triggered File Compress recipe to your busiest boards and fire it across the existing items with a batch status change, then keep a compress-on-upload recipe so new files arrive compressed.
- How much can compression recover?
- On image-heavy boards, medium compression typically reclaims 40–60% of the space those files use. High reclaims more.
- Does deleting files from a board free storage immediately?
- Files moved to the board or account recycle bin still count until the bin is emptied. Empty it after a cleanup.
Reducing monday.com file storage usage is mostly about one column type. Files columns hold the photos, PDFs, and exports that make up almost all of an account's storage consumption. Board structure, item data, and updates are negligible. So the plan is: find the heavy Files columns, compress what is in them, and stop new uploads from arriving oversized.
Step 1: find where the storage is going
Account admins can see total storage in the admin area under Billing or Usage. To find the offending boards, look for:
- Boards used for design, creative, or marketing work
- Boards fed by forms or client upload links
- QA, inspection, or field boards with phone photos
- Old completed project boards nobody has archived
These are almost always the top consumers.
Step 2: compress what is already there
Install File Compress, then on each heavy board:
- Add a status value like Compress now and a File Compress recipe: when status changes to Compress now, compress images (and PDFs) from [column] and save to [column].
- Choose medium — safe and reclaims 40–60% on photos — or high for archives. Point the target at the same column to replace in place, or a different column to keep originals.
- Select every item on the board — one group at a time on very large boards.
- Use monday.com's batch actions to set the status to Compress now for all of them at once. The recipe runs per item, server-side.
- Remove the temporary recipe when it finishes, or keep it as a manual button for later.
| Content | Level | Rough space reclaimed |
|---|---|---|
| Phone / camera photos | Medium | 45–65% |
| Phone / camera photos | High | 65–80% |
| Screenshots (PNG) | Medium | 10–40% |
| Exported / text PDFs | Medium | 5–25% |
| Already-optimized files | — | Skipped |
Step 3: stop it filling up again
A one-time pass buys you months, not permanence. On every board where files arrive, add an automation:
- Compress images automatically when a file column changes
- Compress PDFs automatically when a status reaches "Received" or "Final"
Now the board self-maintains.
Step 4: archive finished work
For completed projects, zip the deliverables into a single archive file with the Zip Files action, keep the ZIP on the item, and clear the loose attachments. One file per project is far easier to store, move, and audit than dozens.
The short version
monday.com storage is Files-column storage. Find the design, intake, and field boards; compress their images and PDFs with File Compress at medium or high; empty the recycle bin; then automate compression so new files arrive small. Archive completed projects as ZIPs. See the setup guide and pricing for monthly file allowances.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I check my monday.com storage usage?
- Account admins can see storage in the account admin section under Billing or Usage. It shows total consumption against your plan's allowance.
- Will compressing files reduce my storage bill?
- It reduces consumption. Whether that changes your bill depends on your plan's storage allowance and whether you were over it.
- Is it safe to compress files that are already on client-facing boards?
- Yes. Use medium compression, and point the recipe's target column at a different column if you want to keep originals. File Compress never makes a file larger and skips anything already optimized.
- How do I stop storage from filling up again?
- Automate compression on the boards where files arrive, and periodically zip completed projects into a single archive file.
- Do zipped files count less toward storage?
- A ZIP of already-compressed media is only slightly smaller, but consolidating 30 attachments into one file makes boards faster and easier to audit.
Zack
File Compress Developer at ColumnMate. Writes about file management, storage, and automation inside monday.com.
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