# Multiple Files Field not working as expected
**URL:** https://community.glideapps.com/t/multiple-files-field-not-working-as-expected/80530
**Category:** Ask for Help
**Created:** [March 6, 2025, 1:28am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/multiple-files-field-not-working-as-expected/80530 "2025-03-06T01:28:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@alan\_singer](https://community.glideapps.com/u/alan_singer)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2025, 1:28am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/multiple-files-field-not-working-as-expected/80530/1 "2025-03-06T01:28:46Z")
I have a multiple files field - IT can be present on a FORM (create row) and it allwas me to go through the motions of adding a file or files, but the do not uopload.
Secodly, I am unable to see the field when trying to set up a disopla row and edit row form
The filed just does not appear
What am I missing
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### Author:  [@Darren\_Murphy](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Darren_Murphy)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2025, 1:33am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/multiple-files-field-not-working-as-expected/80530/2 "2025-03-06T01:33:40Z")
Screenshot of the column please?
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### Author:  [@alan\_singer](https://community.glideapps.com/u/alan_singer)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2025, 1:36am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/multiple-files-field-not-working-as-expected/80530/3 "2025-03-06T01:36:57Z")
Posted screenshots
1. First is showing the field has accepted a file on the FORM screen
2 Second is showing that the people files field is absent when trying to add it to the display and edit fileds
3.Shows the column definition
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### Author:  [@alan\_singer](https://community.glideapps.com/u/alan_singer)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2025, 1:47am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/multiple-files-field-not-working-as-expected/80530/4 "2025-03-06T01:47:32Z")
screenshot of data
It appears that the file has been uploaded -
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### Author:  [@Darren\_Murphy](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Darren_Murphy)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2025, 1:47am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/multiple-files-field-not-working-as-expected/80530/5 "2025-03-06T01:47:56Z")
A multiple files column is an array column type. It cannot be used with any component that expects a single value. Try using a Link component.
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### Author:  [@Darren\_Murphy](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Darren_Murphy)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2025, 1:49am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/multiple-files-field-not-working-as-expected/80530/6 "2025-03-06T01:49:07Z")
> [@alan\_singer](#):
>
> It appears that the file has been uploaded -
Are you actually expecting to store _multiple_ files in this column in a single row? If not, you are better off just using a URL column type.
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### Author:  [@alan\_singer](https://community.glideapps.com/u/alan_singer)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2025, 2:02am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/multiple-files-field-not-working-as-expected/80530/7 "2025-03-06T02:02:00Z")
Thanks @Darren - so multiple fiiles is an array column - I think I am really missing something about how and when to use array columns - Can you please share with me - let us say I do use a multiple files filed (an array column) what then can be done with that column apart from uploading and storing the files…in other words - once the files are in there what else can you do with the files - if you cant get a list of them, download them or view them - which is what I am interpreting from your comments?
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### Author:  [@alan\_singer](https://community.glideapps.com/u/alan_singer)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2025, 2:03am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/multiple-files-field-not-working-as-expected/80530/8 "2025-03-06T02:03:53Z")
Yes, I had undertood that it would be possible to store multiple files and then see them as a list in the VIEW ROW screen and then on edit, add or remove files from the field. Is that not the purpose of the column?
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### Author:  [@alan\_singer](https://community.glideapps.com/u/alan_singer)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2025, 2:07am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/multiple-files-field-not-working-as-expected/80530/9 "2025-03-06T02:07:08Z")
@Darren_Murphy Can I please clarify - a URL column type will not have a button or an entry filed t upload a file - I think the file needs to be stored “somewhere” and then the url pointing to that file is tored in the URL field - correct?
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### Author:  [@Darren\_Murphy](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Darren_Murphy)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2025, 2:40am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/multiple-files-field-not-working-as-expected/80530/10 "2025-03-06T02:40:27Z")
> [@alan\_singer](#):
>
> Yes, I had undertood that it would be possible to store multiple files and then see them as a list in the VIEW ROW screen and then on edit, add or remove files from the field. Is that not the purpose of the column?
I don’t know what a view row screen is. Do you mean view details?
- As I said earlier, you can use a Link component to display the contents of a multiple files component.
- If you want just a list of the files, target a joined list column at the multiple files column, and then display that.
- If you want to list the files in a collection, then you need to use a helper table with the “Miracle Method”
- If you want any single file from the array, use a Single Value column.
> [@alan\_singer](#):
>
> a URL column type will not have a button or an entry filed t upload a file - I think the file needs to be stored “somewhere” and then the url pointing to that file is tored in the URL field - correct?
No column type has a button. A URL column is just a Text column with another name. And a File Picker can be targeted at any Text type column. It just depends what you want to do.
- If you only want to ever upload a single file: use a Text or URL column type
- If you want to allow for uploading multiple files: use a Multiple Files column
> [@alan\_singer](#):
>
> once the files are in there what else can you do with the files - if you cant get a list of them, download them or view them - which is what I am interpreting from your comments?
You can do all of the above. What do you actually want to do?
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### Author:  [@alan\_singer](https://community.glideapps.com/u/alan_singer)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2025, 8:14pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/multiple-files-field-not-working-as-expected/80530/11 "2025-03-07T20:14:33Z")
> [@Darren\_Murphy](#):
>
> If you want just a list of the files, target a joined list column at the multiple files column, and then display that.
Hi @Darren_Murphy …so I think you are saying add a new column to the data table (A joined list column, that refers back to the multiple files column?
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### Author:  [@Darren\_Murphy](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Darren_Murphy)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2025, 12:01am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/multiple-files-field-not-working-as-expected/80530/12 "2025-03-08T00:01:09Z")
Correct 👍
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### Author:  [@alan\_singer](https://community.glideapps.com/u/alan_singer)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2025, 5:45pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/multiple-files-field-not-working-as-expected/80530/13 "2025-03-08T17:45:08Z")
[quote=“Darren\_Murphy, post:10, topic:80530”]
I don’t know what a view row screen is. Do you mean view details?
[/quote]’
Yes @Darren_Murphy , I did mean view details (I meant to put row details)
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### Author:  [@Simon\_Hill](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Simon_Hill)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2025, 7:48pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/multiple-files-field-not-working-as-expected/80530/14 "2025-03-08T19:48:12Z")
I feel this conversation links nicely to this one:
> [@Single File vs. Multiple Files](https://community.glideapps.com/t/single-file-vs-multiple-files/80472):
>
> This is small, but I would like to propose that we add a column option called Single File to the list of Basic column types. Experienced Gliders will instinctively know that you should use a URL column for a single file. However, I doubt this is obvious for new users. To me it seems sensible to have 2 options: Single and Multiple types even if the Single option simply creates a URL type column. This makes further sense when using the file picker component since you would expect this t…