---
title: "Attachments"
description: "How Doota checks files before you open them, what the little badges mean, and how preview and download work."
---

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

# Attachments

Every file in your mail gets a quick safety check, and most open right inside
Doota so you never have to download them to take a look. This page explains the
badges you'll see and what happens when you click a file.

## The safety check

When you open a conversation, Doota checks each attachment against a list of
known dangerous patterns — the same kind of thing that hides malware inside a
document or a zip. The check runs on your own device; the file isn't sent
anywhere to be scanned.

You'll see a small badge next to each file:

- **Checked** — the file was compared against known threats and nothing matched.
  This is not a promise it's safe; it means "nothing known-bad was found."
- **Threat found** — the file matched a known dangerous pattern. Treat it with
  care. You can still open or download it, but Doota asks you to confirm first.
- **Couldn't check** — Doota wasn't able to finish the check (an unusual file,
  or one that's very large). It isn't a verdict either way, so Doota asks you to
  confirm before opening.

A file that's still being checked shows a small spinner for a moment.

> **Note**
>
> "Checked" is honest, not a guarantee. It means the file didn't match anything on
> the known-threats list — new or disguised threats can still slip past any
> scanner. Use the same judgement you would with any email attachment.

## Opening a file

Click a file to open it. What happens depends on the type:

- **Images, PDFs, text, audio, and video** open in a **preview** that runs in an
  isolated window inside Doota. Nothing in the file can reach your account or the
  rest of the page.
- **Office documents, spreadsheets, slideshows, markdown, and archives (zips)**
  open in a richer preview that can show their formatting, page through slides,
  or list what's inside a zip.
- **Anything Doota can't preview** downloads instead.

If a file came up as **Threat found** or **Couldn't check**, Doota asks you to
confirm before it opens or downloads — the button says exactly what it will do
(*Preview anyway* or *Download anyway*).

## Preview vs download

- The **file itself** opens the preview.
- The **download button** on each file (a small ⬇ icon) always downloads,
  without opening the preview — handy when you just want the file on your device.

Inside a preview you also get a **Download** button in the top bar, and — when a
message has several files you can preview — arrows to step **through them** (or
your keyboard's left/right arrows) without closing and reopening.

## Why preview instead of just downloading?

Downloading a file puts it on your device before you've seen it. Previewing lets
you look first, in a walled-off window, and only download the ones you actually
want. It's faster, and it keeps risky files at arm's length.

Source: https://docs.doota.dev/guide/attachments/index.mdx