Attachments are files that can be uploaded to various areas in Issuetrak, including issues. This feature allows you to add supporting information to issues and knowledge base articles, as well as other areas of the product. This article mainly concerns issue attachments, as well as issue-adjacent features, such as Issue Templates, Scheduled Issues, and Quick Notes.
When attachments are enabled, you can use them in:
- Issues
- Issue Templates
- Scheduled Issues
- Quick Notes
- Projects
- KB articles
- Assets
- Users
- Organizations
Some additional information about issue attachments:
- They can be public or private.
- Public attachments can be accessed via links included in outgoing emails, such as issue notifications and emailed issues.
- Private attachments cannot be accessed via links in outgoing emails.
- Creating, viewing, and managing private attachments is governed by the aptly named "Can view and create private attachments" permission.
- There's no limit to the number of files that can be attached to an issue.
- There's no limit for the types of files that can be attached to an issue.
- Cloud-based Issuetrak instances have a set limitation of 200MB per attachment.
- Premise customers can set their own attachment size limits (see below).
How to Toggle Attachments
To activate attachments you will need to log in as a Sys Admin.
- Click the gear icon in the upper right > click on Features beneath System.
- Check or uncheck the box for Use Attachments in the Attachments section (You can also specify an attachment Max Size limit).
- Click Update.
You'll see a confirmation message indicating that the changes you made have been saved.
If you toggle Attachments off, you should be aware that any attachments on issues will be hidden and no new attachments can be added. However, if attachments are reactivated, any attachments that were on issues will become available again.
Managing Issue Attachments
Using Attachments in Issues
You can add attachments by either clicking on the paper clip icon at the top of an issue, or using the Attachments menu option link on the right context menu when viewing and editing an issue. After clicking the Attachments menu option, the Attachments lightbox will appear.
The Attachments lightbox allows you to view a list of files attached to the issue, as well as manage them. You can choose to download, add, delete, block / unblock, and privatize / publicize attachments.
Additionally, you can simply drag files from your machine to the "PUBLIC" or "PRIVATE" (if you have permission) attachment areas of the lightbox to attach files to the issue that you're in. Dragging multiple attachments is also supported.
Increasing the Attachment Size Limit
Premise customers can adjust the size limits on their attachments. By default, the maximum file size that can be uploaded in IIS is 200 MB as set by the Issuetrak Deployment Manager installation process. Although you can set the file size limit inside Issuetrak, the server is still dependent on the settings in IIS.
Here is a knowledge base article that details the steps needed to increase the attachment size limit on your Issuetrak IIS server.
Adding Attachments
You can add and manage issue attachments in a few ways:
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Paper Clip |
The paper clip icon appears at the top of the View Issue and Edit Issue screens. Clicking on the paper clip icon will display an Attachments lightbox where you can view the list of files attached to the issue, as well as manage them. The Attachments lightbox allows you to download, add, delete, block / unblock, and privatize / publicize attachments. You can simply drag files from your machine to the "PUBLIC" or "PRIVATE" attachment areas of the lightbox to attach files to the issue that you're in. Dragging multiple attachments is also supported. |
|---|---|
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"Attachments" right menu option |
The "Attachments" right menu option will bring up the Attachments lightbox, as described above. |
|
Attachments on Submit |
When submitting an issue, there is a checkbox option Include Attachment(s)? where an upload screen will display on submit. After populating the issue and clicking the submit button you will be taken to the attachment menu where you can upload attachments to the newly submitted issue. |
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IEM Attachments |
Attachments can also be mailed into the system to be included on existing issues when submitting issues through the incoming email module. |
Blocking Attachments
Attachments can be blocked from being processed into Issuetrak when submitted through an IEM mailbox. The most commonly blocked attachments are signature attachments that are sent in often. This reduces the number of attachments coming into the system and also saves space on the server hosting Issuetrak.
For more information on blocked attachments, see Blocked Attachments.
Public and Private Attachments
Issue attachments can be set to be public or private.
Public Attachments
Public attachments are viewable by anyone with access to the issue, as well as anyone with an unauthenticated link to the attachment.
Issue notifications and "email issue" content can contain links to public attachments, and are largely governed by several settings on the Outgoing Email Settings screen.
Private Attachments
Only Sys Admins or Agents with "Can view and create private attachments" permission can handle private attachments. End users, as well as Agents without this permission cannot:
- See whether private attachments are present
- View private attachments
- Toggle attachments between Public or Private
- Interact with private attachments in any way
Private attachments cannot be included in notifications, nor linked to via the "email issue" feature.
Send Linked Attachments via Email Issue
Links to public attachments can be emailed from Issuetrak via the "email issue" feature. This is subject to whether your Issuetrak instance is configured to allow attachments to be linked to via "email issue." By default, Issuetrak will only allow Agents to have the option to email links.
In order to send a linked attachment via "email issue":
- View an issue with a public attachment that you want to provide access to via email.
- Click email issue at the top of the issue.
- Select your preference whether to include private notes:
- Choose OK to include.
- Choose Cancel to not include.
- On the Email Issue pop-up, select the mode (Unauthenticated, Authenticated, or Plain Text) via which the attachments should be shared.
- Unauthenticated links will be accessible by anyone.
- Authenticated links will require the recipient to sign into your Issuetrak site in order to view them.
- Plain Text will simply display the filename in the message body, and will not otherwise be viewable by the recipient unless they have access to your Issuetrak site and the issue the attachments were from.
- Click on Include Public Attachments in Message.
- The link(s) will appear in the message content. If you only want to provide access to a particular link, you should delete the undesired attachment links from the message body.
- Fill the rest of the options for the Email Issue pop-up as desired, and then click on Send.
Send an Attachment with Email Issue (Pre-17.0)
Attachments can be emailed out of the Issuetrak system by using the Email Issue feature. This is the only way to send an attachment by email.
To send an attachment:
- View an issue with an attachment that you want to email (emailing an issue can only be done from the view issue page).
- Click the Email Issue option at the top of the issue.
- Select your preference whether to include private notes:
- Choose OK to include.
- Choose Cancel to not include.
- On the Email Issue pop-up select include attachments? checkbox. This will allow you to email all issue attachments from Issuetrak to your specified recipients.
- Continue to fill out the email issue form and click Send.
