The short version: Dataverse has three separate size ceilings for binary data, as at 22 September 2026: a file column defaults to 32 MB and can be raised to 10 GB, an image column defaults to 10 MB and tops out at 30 MB, and a Notes or email attachment defaults to 5 MB and can be raised to 128 MB. Mixing these three up is the most common reason "just add an attachment field" costs more than expected once someone tries to upload a large PDF.
Three column types, three ceilings
| Column type | Default size | Maximum size | Changeable after creation? |
|---|---|---|---|
| File column | 32 MB | 10 GB | Only via the API, not the designer |
| Image column | 10 MB | 30 MB | Only via the API, not the designer |
| Notes / email attachment | 5 MB | 128 MB | Yes, in the environment's email settings |
Even a file column set to its full 10 GB maximum still can't accept a single 10 GB upload in one request; the client has to chunk anything over 128 MB, since that's the ceiling on a single upload block regardless of the column's own maximum. File and image data are stored outside the relational database in Dataverse's file storage tier, the 20 GB allowance covered in the storage limits post, which is part of why they're cheaper to grow than raw database rows.
What it means for a firm under 20 staff
The setting that trips people up is picking the wrong column type for the job. Photos from a site inspection or job sign-off belong in a file column, not an image column, because an image column caps at 30 MB no matter what, which sounds generous until someone's phone saves a HEIC photo or a scanned multi-page PDF gets treated as an "image" and quietly refused. A file column, by contrast, defaults lower at 32 MB but can be provisioned up to 10 GB at creation time if the maker sets that expectation up front, which most don't because the default is easy to miss.
The older Notes and email attachment ceiling matters most to firms still running an older Dataverse table design, or emailing large quotes and drawings through a model-driven app's built-in email. Its default of 5 MB is the one that most often needs raising early, since a single architectural PDF or a photo-heavy quote can exceed it without anyone realising the setting even exists until an upload fails.
The workaround
Set the file column's maximum size deliberately when the column is first created, since it can't be raised afterwards through the designer, only through the API by someone comfortable with the Web API or SDK. For image columns, treat 30 MB as fixed and route anything that might exceed it, scanned documents, high-resolution photography, multi-page PDFs, to a file column instead. For the Notes and email attachment ceiling, raise Organization.MaxUploadFileSize from the environment's email settings in the Power Platform admin centre, up to the 128 MB maximum, and remember it's a single setting for the whole environment rather than per table. Whichever column type is chosen, file volume is what usually pushes a firm to buy extra Dataverse capacity before row count does; what that costs is on Dataverse pricing in NZ.
Common questions
What is the default file size limit in Dataverse, and how big can it go?
A file column defaults to 32 MB (32,768 KB) and can be raised to a maximum of 10 GB when the column is created, though the value cannot be changed afterwards through the maker designer, only via the API. Even at a 10 GB column limit, a single upload request is still capped at 128 MB, so a bigger file has to be sent in chunks.
How big can an image column be in Dataverse?
10 MB (10,240 KB) by default, up to a maximum of 30 MB (30,720 KB). Unlike a file column, this value can be changed after creation, but only through the API, not the designer. Anything larger than an image belongs in a file column instead.
What is the default attachment size limit for Notes and emails, and where do I change it?
5 MB (5,242,880 bytes) by default, adjustable up to 128 MB (131,072,000 bytes) via the Organization.MaxUploadFileSize setting, changed from the environment's email settings in the Power Platform admin centre. This limit covers the older Notes and email attachment tables, not the newer file and image columns, which each have their own separate ceiling.
Uploads getting rejected?
Free 30-minute call. Tell me what's being uploaded and which column type it's landing in, and I'll tell you which ceiling it's hitting.