> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://signatureapi-daf4ee54.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# File

> The file resource (deprecated). Use the Upload resource instead.

<Warning>
  The File resource has been replaced by the [Upload resource](/docs/api/resources/uploads/object). The File resource is still available for backward compatibility, but new integrations should use Uploads.

  * [Upload object](/docs/api/resources/uploads/object)
  * [Create an upload](/docs/api/resources/uploads/create)
  * [Get an upload](/docs/api/resources/uploads/get)
</Warning>

A file is a temporary document stored in SignatureAPI. You can upload a file and then reference it by URL when creating an envelope, for example as the `url` property of a [document](/docs/api/resources/documents/object).

Files are temporary and expire 24 hours after creation. To store files permanently for reuse across multiple envelopes, use the [Library](https://dashboard.signatureapi.com/library) in your dashboard.

## How it works

Creating a file requires two requests:

1. **POST `/v1/files`** to register the file and receive a `put_url`.
2. **PUT `{put_url}`** to upload the raw file content to that URL.

After completing both steps, reference the file using the URL pattern `https://api.signatureapi.com/v1/files/{id}`.

## Attributes

<ResponseField name="id" type="string">
  The unique identifier of the file.
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="expires_at" type="string">
  The date and time when the file will expire, in <Tooltip tip="For example: 2025-12-31T23:59:59.999Z">ISO 8601</Tooltip> format. Files expire 24 hours after creation.
</ResponseField>

<ResponseExample>
  ```json Response theme={null}
  {
    "id": "fil_0nZXZ8pYPByQ4XksJbDl4r",
    "expires_at": "2025-12-31T20:00:00.000Z"
  }
  ```
</ResponseExample>