Why can't I preview the uploaded images in Notion?

This article only applies when Notion native file uploads are disabled in your form settings.

By default, files are uploaded directly to your Notion workspace and will preview normally. However, if you've disabled Notion native uploads, files are stored on our servers instead.

When files are stored on our servers and the "Upload file privately" option is enabled, Notion cannot access the files to display previews because they require authentication to access.

If you would like to be able to preview images in Notion while using our file storage, you can make the file uploads publicly accessible. Here's how to proceed:

Open the form editor for your form
Click on Settings from the top of the page.
Click to the Security & Access from the left side of the screen.
Make sure "Upload files directly to Notion" is disabled
Disable the "Upload file privately" option

That's it! You will then be able to see and preview images right in your Notion database.

Recommendation: For the best experience, we recommend keeping Notion native file uploads enabled, which allows file previews while maintaining security.

Updated on: 05/09/2025

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