Jisc adds file uploads to Online Surveys, and why it matters for student feedback surveys

Updated Sep 07, 2026

Jisc announced a File upload question on 9 February 2026 (version 3.34.0), allowing respondents to attach a PDF or image to an Online Surveys response. The announcement described it as available across surveys and suitable for supporting documents, screenshots and similar material. Jisc product update; release history.

Check the handling limits

The current help page lists PDF, PNG, JPEG and GIF formats, a 10 MB maximum per file and up to ten upload questions per survey. It also describes an important operational detail: deleting an uploaded file requires deleting the entire response; deleting a survey removes its files.

Standard data downloads include uploaded filenames, rather than the files themselves. A team expecting to receive attachments with a spreadsheet export needs to plan a separate handling step. File upload documentation.

This is a feature of Jisc’s survey platform. The announcement does not change NSS or other national survey questionnaires, and it does not establish that attachments improve response rates or reduce case-resolution times in every setting.

Use an upload only where it answers a clear question

Our suggestion is to begin with a specific use, such as a screenshot of an access problem, and decide who can review it. Tell respondents what is useful, what they should leave out and whether an individual reply can be expected. Provide an appropriate support route for issues requiring case handling.

Consider access and retention before collecting files. A screenshot or document can include names or information about other people, so a request for evidence should be proportionate to its purpose. Review the deletion behaviour when designing the process.

Keep institution-wide comment analysis distinct from the investigation of an individual attachment. The comment analysis governance checklist provides a starting point for discussing that boundary; the commercial comment-analysis service should not be assumed to analyse uploaded images or documents.

Review note, 7 September 2026: checked the announcement, indexed official release history and current feature documentation, updated the product link and added the documented handling limits. Removed unsupported claims about automatic service or reporting benefits.