Common Issues general

File Upload Not Working in My AI App

Users try to upload files (images, documents, etc.) and the upload fails, shows an error, takes forever, or the file seems to upload successfully but then disappears or can't be accessed.

Error Messages You Might See

413 Payload Too Large Failed to fetch Storage object not found Bucket not found Permission denied
413 Payload Too LargeFailed to fetchStorage object not foundBucket not foundPermission denied

Common Causes

  • File size exceeds the server or hosting platform's limit
  • Storage bucket not configured or permissions wrong
  • Upload saves to local filesystem which doesn't persist on serverless platforms
  • CORS blocking the upload request to the storage service
  • File type validation rejecting valid files

How to Fix It

  1. Check the browser Network tab for the upload request — see the error response
  2. Try uploading a very small file (under 1MB) to rule out size limits
  3. Verify your storage configuration (Supabase Storage, S3, etc.) is correct in production
  4. Check storage bucket permissions — uploads need write access
  5. If using serverless hosting, make sure you're uploading to cloud storage, not the local filesystem

Real developers can help you.

Dor Yaloz Dor Yaloz SW engineer with 6+ years of experience, I worked with React/Node/Python did projects with React+Capacitor.js for ios Supabase expert Costea Adrian Costea Adrian Embedded Engineer specilizing in perception systems. Latest project was a adas camera calibration system. Alvin Voo Alvin Voo I’ve watched the tech landscape evolve over the last decade—from the structured days of Java Server Pages to the current "wild west" of Agentic-driven development. While AI can "vibe" a frontend into existence, I specialize in the architecture that keeps it from collapsing. My expertise lies in the critical backend infrastructure: the parts that must be fast, secure, and scalable. I thrive on high-pressure environments, such as when I had only three weeks to architect and launch an Ethereum redemption system with minimal prior crypto knowledge, turning it into a major revenue stream. What I bring to your project: Forensic Debugging: I don't just "patch" bugs; I use tools like Datadog and Explain Analyzers to map out bottlenecks and resolve root causes—like significantly reducing memory usage by optimizing complex DB joins. Full-Stack Context: Deep experience in Node.js and React, ensuring backends play perfectly with mobile and web teams. Sanity in the Age of AI: I bridge the gap between "best practices" and modern speed, ensuring your project isn't just built fast, but built to last. Bastien Labelle Bastien Labelle Full stack dev w/ 20+ years of experience Krishna Sai Kuncha Krishna Sai Kuncha Experienced Professional Full stack Developer with 8+ years of experience across react, python, js, ts, golang and react-native. Developed inhouse websearch tooling for AI before websearch was solved : ) Basel Issmail Basel Issmail ’m a Senior Full-Stack Developer and Tech Lead with experience designing and building scalable web platforms. I work across the full development lifecycle, from translating business requirements into technical architecture to delivering reliable production systems. My work focuses on modern web technologies, including TypeScript, Angular, Node.js, and cloud-based architectures. I enjoy solving complex technical problems and helping teams turn product ideas and prototypes into working platforms that can grow and scale. In addition to development, I often collaborate closely with product managers, business analysts, designers, and QA teams to ensure that solutions align with both technical and business goals. I enjoy working with startups and product teams where I can contribute both as a hands-on engineer and as a technical partner in designing and delivering impactful software. Franck Plazanet Franck Plazanet I am a Strategic Engineering Leader with over 8 years of experience building high-availability enterprise systems and scaling high-performing technical teams. My focus is on bridging the gap between complex technology and business growth. Core Expertise: 🚀 Leadership: Managing and coaching teams of 15+ engineers, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. 🏗️ Architecture: Enterprise Core Systems, Multi-system Integration (ERP/API/ETL), and Core Database Structure. ☁️ Cloud & Scale: AWS Expert; architected systems handling 10B+ monthly requests and managing 100k+ SKUs. 📈 Business Impact: Aligning tech strategy with P&L goals to drive $70k+ in monthly recurring revenue. I thrive on "out-of-the-box" thinking to solve complex technical bottlenecks and am always looking for ways to use automation to improve business productivity. MFox MFox Full-stack professional senior engineer (15+years). Extensive experience in software development, qa, and IP networking. Vlad Temian Vlad Temian 15+ years shipping production infrastructure for startups. Former CTO at qed.builders (acquired by The Sandbox). Cursor ambassador and agentic tooling builder. I've scaled systems, automated deployments, and built observability tools for AI coding workflows. I specialize in taking vibe-coded apps from broken prototype to production-ready: fixing Supabase auth/RLS, Stripe integrations, deployment pipelines, and cleaning up AI-generated spaghetti. I build tools in this space (agentprobe, claudebin, micode) and understand both sides: how AI generates code and why it breaks. https://blog.vtemian.com/ Richard McSorley Richard McSorley Full-Stack Software Engineer with 8+ years building high-performance applications for enterprise clients. Shipped production systems at Walmart (4,000+ stores), Cigna (20M+ users), and Arkansas Blue Cross. 5 patents in retail/supply chain tech. Currently focused on AI integrations, automation tools, and TypeScript-first architectures.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Files upload but then disappear. What's happening?

Your app is probably saving files to the server's local filesystem, which gets wiped on each deploy. You need to use cloud storage (Supabase Storage, S3, etc.) instead.

Upload works for small files but fails for large ones. Why?

There's likely a file size limit on the server, hosting platform, or in the code. A developer can increase the limits and add proper large file handling.

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