Email Attachments

The Send Email action can attach files to every email it sends. There are two options in the Attachments section, Upload file and File from field, and you can mix them freely.

Uploaded files

Upload a file once in the email action settings and it is sent with every email from that action. Typical uses: terms and conditions, a brochure, a price list.

1. Open the Send Email action in the automation builder.
2. Scroll to Attachments and click Upload file.
3. Pick the file. It appears in the list immediately and is stored securely in your account.

File from field

Click File from field and pick a source with the variable button. Two kinds of sources work:

A file field of the lead

If your entity has a file field (for example "Contract") and you uploaded a PDF there, select that field as the source. When the automation runs, the stored file is attached. This is perfect for manually prepared documents: create the contract, upload it into the lead, drag the lead into the stage that sends the email, done.

A download link from a previous step

Attach a file that was generated earlier in the same automation run, personalized for the lead. A common setup is a personalized contract:

1. A Webhook action sends the lead's data to a PDF generation service (PDF Monkey, Documint, or any tool with an HTTP API).
2. The service responds with a download link, for example in a download_url field. Store the response with Store response as so later steps can use it.
3. In the Send Email action, click File from field under Attachments.
4. As the Source, use the variable button to insert the download link from the webhook step (for example the webhook response's Download URL).
5. Optionally set a Filename the recipient will see. Variables work here too: Contract-{{ lead.last_name }}.pdf.

When the email is sent, Leadflip downloads the file, checks it, attaches it, and keeps an archived copy. The archived copy means you can always prove what was sent, even after the external download link expires. Files that already live in a lead field are attached directly, no download or copy needed.

Rules and limits

• Up to 5 attachments per email, 10 MB total.
• Allowed types: PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, CSV, TXT, images (PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP), and ZIP.
• Fail-safe by design. If a linked file cannot be downloaded at send time (empty link, expired URL, wrong file type, too large), the email is not sent. You never send a contract email without the contract. The failure shows up in the lead's activity log as an "email failed" entry with the reason.

Troubleshooting

• "Attachment source is empty". The selected field has no file, or the previous step did not produce a link. Check the lead's field value or the webhook step's response in the automation logs.
• "Attachment download failed (HTTP 404)". The link expired before the email was sent. Some PDF services issue short-lived links; place the Send Email action directly after the webhook step, without long delays in between.
• "Attachment file type is not allowed". The URL returned something other than a document (often an HTML error page). Open the link in a browser to see what the service actually returns.

Related articles

• Actions Reference
• Step Outputs and Variables
• Automation Logs