> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.stage3.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Uploading Evidence

> Learn how to upload evidence files to prove task completion

## Why Upload Evidence

Evidence serves as proof that work was completed correctly. It's the digital paper trail that:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Protects You" icon="shield-check">
    Documents that you completed the work if questions arise later
  </Card>

  <Card title="Informs Your Team" icon="users">
    Shows teammates exactly what was done and how
  </Card>

  <Card title="Enables Audits" icon="clipboard-list">
    Provides documentation for compliance and quality reviews
  </Card>

  <Card title="Builds Knowledge" icon="book">
    Creates a reference library for future similar work
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

[Learn more about why evidence matters](/workflows/evidence-accountability)

## Types of Evidence

Different tasks require different types of evidence:

### Documents

<Card title="Best For" icon="file-pdf">
  Contracts, forms, reports, spreadsheets, presentations
</Card>

**Examples:**

* Signed offer letter (PDF)
* Completed vendor contract
* Financial analysis spreadsheet
* Meeting agenda and notes
* Compliance checklist

**File Types**: PDF, Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), PowerPoint (.pptx), Text (.txt)

### Screenshots

<Card title="Best For" icon="camera-viewfinder">
  Software configurations, email confirmations, system statuses, online forms
</Card>

**Examples:**

* Email confirmation showing message was sent
* System dashboard showing configuration completed
* Order confirmation from vendor website
* Software license activation screen
* Calendar invite showing meeting scheduled

**File Types**: PNG, JPG, GIF

<Tip>
  PNG format is better than JPG for screenshots because it preserves text clarity.
</Tip>

### Photos

<Card title="Best For" icon="image">
  Physical installations, equipment, facilities, in-person events
</Card>

**Examples:**

* Photo of installed equipment
* Picture of organized workspace
* Facility inspection images
* Team photo from first meeting
* Before/after renovation photos

**File Types**: JPG, PNG, HEIC (from mobile)

### Screen Recordings

<Card title="Best For" icon="video">
  Complex processes, software demonstrations, training sessions
</Card>

**Examples:**

* Video walkthrough of system configuration
* Recording of training session
* Demo of new feature
* Process demonstration

**File Types**: MP4, MOV, AVI

<Warning>
  Video files are large. Only upload videos when screenshots or documents can't adequately capture what was done.
</Warning>

## How to Upload Evidence

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Task">
    Navigate to the task you want to add evidence to (e.g., from your **Tasks & Work > My Tasks** page) and click to open its details.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find the Evidence Section">
    Scroll to the **Evidence** or **Attachments** section of the task detail panel.

    This is usually below the task description and above the comments section.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click 'Add Evidence' or 'Upload Files'">
    Click the button to open the file upload dialog.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Files from Your Computer">
    Your computer's file browser opens. Select the file(s) you want to upload:

    * You can select multiple files at once
    * Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac) to select multiple
    * Or drag and drop files directly into the upload area
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for Upload to Complete">
    Files upload to the system. You'll see:

    * Upload progress bar for each file
    * File name and size
    * Completion checkmark when done

    <Warning>
      Don't close the browser window or navigate away until all uploads complete.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add Description to Each File">
    For each uploaded file, add a descriptive caption:

    **Good Descriptions:**

    * "Signed offer letter - John Smith - Start date June 1, 2025"
    * "Screenshot of sent email to vendor - Order confirmation #12345"
    * "Photo of installed network equipment in server room"

    **Bad Descriptions:**

    * "document.pdf"
    * "screenshot"
    * "IMG\_1234.jpg"

    <Tip>
      Write descriptions as if someone who wasn't there will review this evidence in 6 months. What context do they need?
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify Evidence Appears">
    Confirm your evidence files are listed in the task with:

    * Correct file names
    * Clear descriptions
    * Preview thumbnails (for images)
    * File size and upload date
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Taking Good Screenshots

Screenshots are the most common evidence type. Here's how to take effective ones:

### On Windows

<Steps>
  <Step title="Capture Specific Area">
    Press `Windows + Shift + S` to open Snipping Tool

    Click and drag to select the area you want to capture
  </Step>

  <Step title="Capture Full Screen">
    Press `Print Screen` key to capture entire screen

    Image is copied to clipboard
  </Step>

  <Step title="Paste and Save">
    Open Paint or any image editor

    Press `Ctrl + V` to paste

    Save as PNG file
  </Step>
</Steps>

### On Mac

<Steps>
  <Step title="Capture Specific Area">
    Press `Cmd + Shift + 4`

    Click and drag to select area

    Screenshot saves to Desktop
  </Step>

  <Step title="Capture Full Screen">
    Press `Cmd + Shift + 3`

    Screenshot saves to Desktop
  </Step>

  <Step title="Capture Specific Window">
    Press `Cmd + Shift + 4`, then press `Space`

    Click the window you want to capture
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Screenshot Best Practices

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Capture the Important Parts">
    Don't screenshot your entire screen if only one part matters. Use area capture to focus on relevant content.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Include Timestamps When Relevant">
    If timing matters, make sure timestamps or dates are visible in the screenshot.

    **Example**: Screenshot of email should show the sent date/time.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Ensure Text is Readable">
    Zoom in if needed before capturing so text is clear and legible.

    Test: Can you read all text in the screenshot without zooming? If not, recapture.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Redact Sensitive Information">
    Before uploading, redact:

    * Social security numbers
    * Full credit card numbers
    * Passwords or API keys
    * Personal health information
    * Other confidential data not needed for the task

    Use a rectangle tool to black out sensitive areas.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Use Annotations (if helpful)">
    Add arrows, circles, or text to highlight important parts of the screenshot.

    **Tools**:

    * Windows: Snip & Sketch
    * Mac: Preview > Markup
    * Browser extension: Awesome Screenshot
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Adding Comments to Evidence

You can add comments or notes to evidence files to provide context:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Click on the Evidence File">
    After uploading, click the evidence file in the task.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click 'Add Comment'">
    Find the comment option for that specific piece of evidence.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write Your Comment">
    Explain anything important about this evidence:

    **Examples:**

    * "Note the start date changed from May 15 to June 1 per candidate request"
    * "System shows 'active' status which confirms configuration is complete"
    * "Vendor confirmed 3-5 business days for delivery"
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save Comment">
    Comment appears with the evidence for future reference.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Organizing Multiple Evidence Files

If you need to upload many files for one task, organize them clearly:

### Use Clear File Names

Before uploading, rename files to be descriptive:

**Good File Names:**

* `01-signed-contract-acme-corp.pdf`
* `02-invoice-payment-confirmation.pdf`
* `03-delivery-receipt.pdf`

**Bad File Names:**

* `document.pdf`
* `scan0001.pdf`
* `IMG_5432.jpg`

### Number Files if Order Matters

Use leading numbers to show sequence:

* `01-before-photo.jpg`
* `02-during-installation.jpg`
* `03-after-completion.jpg`

### Group Related Files

Upload related evidence together, then add a comment explaining how they're related:

**Example:**
Uploading 3 files for vendor onboarding:

Signed W-9 form

Certificate of Insurance

Banking information form

All forms collected and verified per checklist.

## Evidence File Size Limits

Most systems have file size limits for uploads:

| File Type       | Typical Limit | Best Practice                     |
| --------------- | ------------- | --------------------------------- |
| **Documents**   | 10 MB         | Compress PDFs if needed           |
| **Screenshots** | 5 MB          | Use PNG, crop to relevant area    |
| **Photos**      | 10 MB         | Resize large photos before upload |
| **Videos**      | 100 MB        | Compress or link to cloud storage |

<Tip>
  If your file exceeds the limit:

  * Compress it using online tools (for PDFs/images)
  * Split into multiple smaller files
  * Upload to Google Drive/Dropbox and paste the link in comments
</Tip>

## Viewing Uploaded Evidence

After evidence is uploaded, you and others can view it:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Task">
    Navigate to the task with evidence.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Scroll to Evidence Section">
    Find the Evidence or Attachments area.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click a File to Preview">
    Click any evidence file to preview it:

    * Images open in preview viewer
    * PDFs open in browser or download
    * Other files download to your computer
  </Step>

  <Step title="Download if Needed">
    Click **Download** to save a copy to your computer.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Editing or Deleting Evidence

Sometimes you need to update evidence after uploading:

### Adding More Evidence

<Accordion title="To add additional files">
  1. Open the task
  2. Click **Add Evidence** again
  3. Upload new files
  4. Previous evidence remains; new files are added

  You can add as many evidence files as needed.
</Accordion>

### Replacing Evidence

<Accordion title="To replace incorrect evidence">
  1. Upload the corrected file
  2. Add a comment: "Replacing previous file - this version is correct"
  3. Delete the old file (if permissions allow)
  4. Or add comment to old file: "Replaced by \[new filename]"
</Accordion>

### Deleting Evidence

<Accordion title="To remove evidence">
  1. Click the evidence file
  2. Click **Delete** or trash icon
  3. Confirm deletion

  <Warning>
    Some systems don't allow evidence deletion after a task is marked complete. This is for audit trail purposes.
  </Warning>
</Accordion>

## Evidence Requirements by Task

Some tasks have specific evidence requirements:

### Required Evidence

<Accordion title="Task requires specific evidence">
  The task details will specify exactly what evidence is needed:

  **Example:**
  Evidence Required:

  Screenshot of sent email (showing recipient and timestamp)

  Copy of the signed form (PDF)

  You cannot mark the task complete until required evidence is uploaded.
</Accordion>

### Optional Evidence

<Accordion title="Evidence is recommended but not required">
  Task can be marked complete without evidence, but uploading is strongly encouraged.

  **Best Practice**: Always upload evidence even if optional.
</Accordion>

### No Evidence Required

<Accordion title="Some tasks don't require evidence">
  Simple, low-risk tasks may not require evidence:

  * Internal team meetings
  * Simple status updates
  * Quick review tasks

  Even for these, consider uploading evidence to maintain a complete record.
</Accordion>

## Evidence Best Practices

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Upload Immediately">
    Don't wait. Upload evidence as soon as you complete the work:

    * **Right after completing**: Details are fresh, files are ready
    * **Days later**: You'll forget details, have to recreate evidence, or lose files
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="More Evidence > Less Evidence">
    When in doubt, upload it. Extra evidence is never a problem; missing evidence causes issues.

    **Example**: If you took 3 screenshots during a process, upload all 3 even if only 1 is required.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Think About Future Readers">
    Upload and describe evidence as if someone unfamiliar with the task will need to understand what happened.

    Ask yourself: "Could someone 6 months from now understand what I did based on this evidence?"
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Verify Before Marking Complete">
    Before marking a task complete, verify:

    * Evidence clearly shows task completion
    * All required evidence is present
    * Files are readable/viewable
    * Descriptions are clear
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Protect Sensitive Information">
    Be mindful of what you upload:

    * Redact personal/confidential information
    * Don't upload passwords or credentials
    * Follow your company's data security policies
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Troubleshooting Evidence Upload Issues

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Upload Fails or Hangs">
    **Possible Causes:**

    * File too large
    * Internet connection interrupted
    * File type not supported
    * Browser issue

    **Solutions:**

    * Compress the file and try again
    * Check your internet connection
    * Try a different browser
    * Refresh the page and re-upload
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="File Uploads But Appears Corrupted">
    **Possible Causes:**

    * Upload interrupted
    * File was already corrupted

    **Solutions:**

    * Delete and re-upload
    * Verify original file opens correctly on your computer
    * Try converting to a different format (e.g., PDF instead of Word)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can't Find Upload Button">
    **Possible Causes:**

    * Wrong section of the page
    * Browser zoom level affecting layout
    * Permissions issue

    **Solutions:**

    * Look for "Evidence", "Attachments", or "Files" section
    * Try zooming out in browser (Ctrl/Cmd + minus)
    * Verify you have permission to edit the task
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Uploaded Wrong File">
    **Solutions:**

    * Delete the incorrect file (if allowed)
    * Upload the correct file
    * Add comment explaining the replacement
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Complete Tasks" icon="circle-check" href="/workflows/completing-tasks">
    Step-by-step guide to completing tasks with evidence
  </Card>

  <Card title="Track Progress" icon="chart-line" href="/workflows/tracking-progress">
    Monitor your workflow and task completion progress
  </Card>

  <Card title="Evidence & Accountability" icon="scale-balanced" href="/workflows/evidence-accountability">
    Learn why evidence creates accountability
  </Card>

  <Card title="Task Best Practices" icon="star" href="/tasks/completing-tasks">
    Advanced tips for managing tasks effectively
  </Card>
</CardGroup>