Dapple lets you attach files directly to any submission from the Files tab inside a submission record. You control who can see each file — admin only, admin and reviewers, or everyone including the creator. This makes the Files tab a flexible document hub for each submission: use it to share contracts, deliver written feedback, store paid invoices, or request additional materials from a creator. You can also open the tab up so creators can upload files back to you — a signed contract, a full manuscript, extra portfolio pieces — without needing a separate file-sharing tool.
How do I add a file to a submission?
Open the relevant submission, click the Files tab, then click Add File.
Open a project and open the submission you want to attach a file to.
Click the Files tab at the top of the submission.
Click Add File.
Click Choose file and select the file from your computer.
Set the File visibility (see options below).
Click Upload to save.
The file appears immediately in the file list on the left. Use the arrow controls to navigate between multiple files.
What are the file visibility options?
Every file you upload has a visibility setting that controls who can see it. Set this at the point of upload — you choose from three options.
Visibility setting | Who can see it | Best for |
Admin only | Your team members only. Creators and reviewers cannot see it. | Internal notes, paid invoices, decision documents, private correspondence |
Admin and reviewers only | Your team and anyone on the review panel. Creators cannot see it. | Reviewer briefing documents, marking rubrics, scoring sheets |
Anyone with access | Your team, reviewers, and the creator who made the submission. | Contracts to sign, feedback documents, offer letters, next-step instructions |
You set visibility per file, so the same submission can hold an admin-only invoice, a reviewer rubric, and a creator-facing feedback letter all at once.
What can I use submission files for?
The Files tab handles any document workflow that needs to be stored against a specific submission rather than sent loose by email. Common uses:
Contracts and agreements — upload a contract set to 'Anyone with access', message the creator to let them know, and ask them to return a signed copy via the file upload (see below).
Written feedback — deliver a personalised feedback document to a creator after a decision without it going to every other applicant.
Invoices and receipts — store a paid invoice against the submission as an internal record, visible to admin only.
Supplementary briefs — share additional project information with shortlisted creators that you don't want on the public project page.
Requesting additional materials — if you need a full manuscript after a query letter, or extra portfolio samples after a first-round review, ask the creator to upload directly (see below).
Post-award documents — attach grant letters, award certificates, or delivery schedules to the winning submission for your own records.
How do I let a creator upload files?
The 'Allow creators to add files' toggle at the top right of the Files tab controls whether creators can upload their own files to a submission. It is off by default.
Open the submission and click the Files tab.
Toggle on 'Allow creators to add files'.
Send the creator a message (via the Messages tab) letting them know they can now add files to their submission — and tell them exactly what you need.
Once toggled on, the creator sees an upload option when they log in to their Creator Dashboard and open their submission. Files they upload are visible to the admin team and — if your visibility setting allows — to reviewers too.
Toggle the option back off once you've received what you need, so the submission doesn't stay open for further uploads indefinitely.
What does the creator see?
Creators can only see files set to 'Anyone with access'. Files set to 'Admin only' or 'Admin and reviewers only' are completely hidden from them — they won't see a locked or redacted placeholder, just nothing.
If you've enabled creator uploads, they'll also see an upload button in their Files section on the Creator Dashboard. They can add files there without being able to see or delete files you've added at a restricted visibility level.
Best practices
Message the creator every time you share a file with them. Dapple doesn't send an automatic notification when a file is added — use the Messages tab to tell them it's there and what you need them to do with it.
Use 'Admin only' for anything financial or operational. Invoices, internal memos, and decision records should never be visible to creators by default.
Close creator uploads once you've received the files you asked for. Leaving the toggle on indefinitely creates unnecessary admin if creators add irrelevant files later.
Name files clearly before uploading. Dapple displays the filename as-is, so 'Contract-DanielAdams-2026.pdf' is easier to manage than 'doc_final_v3.pdf'.
Store the full paper trail on the submission. Paid invoices, signed contracts, and correspondence all belong here — it means everyone on your team can see the full picture without digging through email.
Where to go next
Sending messages to creators — how to notify a creator when files are ready for them.
Managing submission stages — move a submission forward after materials are received.
The Creator Dashboard — what creators see when they log in to manage their submission.
Bulk messaging — How to send messages to multiple applicants in one go