Why agency files end up everywhere
File chaos at an agency is rarely one bad decision. It is a hundred reasonable ones. A designer drops a mockup in chat because it is fastest. A client emails a logo because they do not have a drive account. Someone shares a folder from their personal storage because setting up a proper one would take ten minutes they did not have.
Six months later, the finished assets for a project exist in four places and nobody knows which is current. Worse, half the links point at someone's personal account, so when they leave, the client's brand assets leave with them. We covered the chat-thread version of this in how to stop losing files in chat threads.
Generic cloud storage does not fix it, because it does not know what a client is. A folder called Acme has no relationship to the Acme project, the Acme invoice, or the Acme contract. The file is stored but the context is not.
What Arpixa Files is
Arpixa Files is file storage that lives where the client work lives. Folders nest, so you can organise by client, by project, or however your agency thinks, with breadcrumbs and a back button to move around. The view updates in real time, so a file a teammate uploads appears without a refresh.
Uploads are handled properly rather than naively. Every upload is authorised first, then sent to cloud object storage through short-lived signed URLs. Larger files are split and sent as parallel chunks instead of one fragile request, and the global upload widget reports each file's percentage and a rolling transfer speed while you keep working in another part of the workspace.
A folder can only be deleted when it is empty, which sounds restrictive until the first time it stops someone removing a client's entire asset library with one click.
What you can do with files
| Capability | What it does |
|---|---|
| Uploads built for big creative files | Drag files anywhere onto the file manager or pick several at once. Larger files are uploaded in parallel chunks rather than one long request, and the upload widget shows per-file progress with a live transfer speed while you keep working elsewhere. |
| Two kinds of link, both deliberate | A private link requires a sign-in and shows an access denied state to anyone else. A public link works without an account for a client who will not create one, and can be revoked at any time, which kills the link for everyone who has it. |
| Preview without downloading | Images, video, audio, and PDFs open in the browser, on your side and on the share pages. Anything else offers a download rather than pretending to render it, so a client is never staring at a broken viewer. |
| Client sharing as an explicit toggle | A file is shared with clients only when you switch it on, and switching it on requires full file permission. Clients see the files you shared plus their own uploads, and nothing else in the workspace. |
| A trash that gives you 30 days | Deleting moves a file to trash and keeps it for 30 days before permanent removal. Permanent deletion only completes when the underlying object is actually removed, so your storage usage figure does not drift away from reality. |
| Permissions that match the team model | Full file permission can upload, delete, share, and create folders. The own level can upload and delete only their own uploads. View and none are read-only, and the upload button reads View Only. Uploads are badged with who added them. |
Day-to-day actions cover rename, move to another folder, duplicate, star, and a right-click context menu, plus a selection bar for acting on several files at once. There is a full single-key shortcut set for people who live in this view: U to upload, N for a new folder, D to download, R to rename, M to move, P to create or copy a public link, V to revoke it, K to toggle client sharing, and / to search.
A drive plus a transfer tool, or one workspace
General cloud storage holds the file but knows nothing about the client, the project, or who is allowed to see it. Arpixa keeps assets beside the work they belong to.
Storage
Client sharing
Permissions
Sending files
ArpixaAll of it, connectedStorage, quotas, and add-ons
Storage is metered honestly, with three numbers per plan: the total workspace pool, a ceiling on how much of it can come from client uploads, and a per-client cap.
| Plan | Workspace pool | Client upload ceiling | Per client |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 500 MB | 500 MB | 500 MB |
| Starter | 50 GB | 25 GB | 5 GB |
| Pro | 250 GB | 125 GB | 10 GB |
| Advanced | 1 TB | 512 GB | 25 GB |
The storage bar warns in amber above 80 percent and red above 95 percent, and uploads are blocked once you are at the limit rather than failing mid-transfer. If you downgrade while over quota, uploads pause during a grace window with a countdown, so you have time to download and clear what you no longer need instead of losing it.
Three add-on packs cover the case where you need more space but not a different plan: Storage Boost adds 50 GB for $3 a month, Storage Pro adds 100 GB for $6 a month, and Storage Max adds 250 GB for $15 a month. One pack is active at a time, and cancelling keeps the space through a seven-day grace period.
How it connects to the rest of Arpixa
- Project assets and deliverable uploads from Projects count against the same storage pool.
- Files attach to the client context in your CRM, so a client's assets sit with their invoices and contracts.
- Shared files appear in the Files section of the branded client portal.
- Brief attachments and form uploads from Docs & Briefs land in the same storage accounting.
- Role permissions from Members decide who can delete, share, and create folders.
Put client assets where the work is
Start free in minutes, or log in to your Arpixa workspace. See pricing for plan details.
Arpixa has a real Free plan (not a trial), with Starter at $12/month, Pro at $29/month, and Advanced at $89/month. Storage is 500 MB on Free, 50 GB on Starter, 250 GB on Pro, and 1 TB on Advanced, with add-on packs from $3/month. Annual billing lowers the effective monthly cost, and the pricing page is the source of truth for current plan limits.
How to organise your files
- Create folders that mirror how your agency actually organises work, by client or by project.
- Drag files in, or use the picker, and watch progress in the upload widget while you carry on.
- Copy a private link for teammates, or create a public link for a client without an account.
- Switch on client sharing for the assets that belong in the portal.
- Preview, star, rename, move, or duplicate files as the project moves along.
- Keep an eye on the storage bar, and add a storage pack if you are close to the limit.
Related reading: how to organize client files and invoices and a Google Drive alternative for client files.
Frequently asked questions
How does file storage work in Arpixa?
Files live in a file manager inside your workspace, organised into folders that can be nested. Uploads go through short-lived signed URLs to cloud object storage, with larger files sent in parallel chunks and a progress widget showing per-file percentage and transfer speed. Every file record carries who uploaded it, its folder, whether it is shared with clients, and its size, which is what makes storage accounting accurate.
What is the difference between a private link and a public link?
A private link points at an internal route that requires a signed-in account; anyone else is redirected to login or shown an access denied state. A public link is generated on demand, works with no account, and shows your agency logo and brand colour on the page. Public links can be revoked, and once revoked the link stops working for everyone. Downloads always go through short-lived signed URLs rather than exposing permanent storage addresses.
What can clients see in Files?
Exactly two sets: agency files you have explicitly toggled as shared with clients, and their own uploads. Clients can upload and create folders in their own area, and a client connected to more than one agency chooses which workspace an upload goes to. They see counts and total size for their view, and nothing from the rest of your workspace.
What file previews are supported?
Images, video with playback controls, audio, and PDFs render in the browser. Other formats show a message that preview is not available for that type with a download option instead. The same behaviour applies on the private and public share pages, so what a client sees matches what you see.
How much storage do I get?
The Free plan includes 500 MB, Starter 50 GB, Pro 250 GB, and Advanced 1 TB, with separate caps on how much of that can come from client uploads and a per-client ceiling. The storage bar turns amber above 80 percent and red above 95 percent, and uploads are blocked at the limit rather than failing halfway.
Can I buy more storage without changing plan?
Yes. Three add-on packs are available as monthly subscriptions: Storage Boost adds 50 GB at $3 a month, Storage Pro adds 100 GB at $6 a month, and Storage Max adds 250 GB at $15 a month. One pack can be active at a time, and cancelling keeps the extra storage through a seven-day grace period.