Handle File Uploads at Any Scale With Zero Complexity

Drag-and-drop uploads, automatic image optimization, virus scanning, and CDN delivery. Bookuvai builds file management systems that are secure, fast, and developer-friendly.

Feature: File Upload & Management

File upload and management is essential for any application handling user-generated content, documents, or media. A robust system needs chunked uploads for large files, real-time progress tracking, automatic format conversion, and secure storage with access controls. Bookuvai delivers file infrastructure that handles everything from profile avatars to multi-gigabyte video uploads.

Benefits

  • Chunked & Resumable Uploads: Large files are split into chunks with automatic resume on network failure, ensuring reliable uploads even on poor connections.
  • Automatic Image Processing: Server-side resizing, format conversion (WebP, AVIF), thumbnail generation, and EXIF stripping for optimized delivery.
  • Virus & Malware Scanning: Every uploaded file passes through ClamAV or cloud-based scanning before being made available, protecting your users and platform.
  • CDN-Optimized Delivery: Files are served through CloudFront or Cloudflare with cache headers, signed URLs for private content, and edge-location routing.

How It Works

  1. Storage Architecture: Design file storage strategy including bucket structure, access patterns, retention policies, and cost optimization.
  2. Upload Pipeline: Build drag-and-drop UI with progress bars, implement presigned URL generation, and set up chunked upload handling on the backend.
  3. Processing Pipeline: Create async processing workflows for image resizing, video transcoding, document parsing, and virus scanning.
  4. Access Control: Implement signed URLs, expiring download links, role-based file permissions, and public/private visibility toggles.
  5. Integration & Testing: Connect file management to your application models, test with large files and concurrent uploads, and verify CDN delivery.

Technology Options

  • AWS S3 + CloudFront: Industry-standard object storage with 99.999999999% durability, lifecycle policies, and global CDN delivery via CloudFront. (Best for: Production applications needing enterprise-grade storage and global delivery)
  • Google Cloud Storage: Unified object storage with automatic storage class transitions, integrated IAM, and seamless BigQuery/AI integration. (Best for: Teams already in the Google Cloud ecosystem or needing ML pipeline integration)
  • Cloudflare R2: S3-compatible storage with zero egress fees, automatic CDN delivery, and Workers integration for edge processing. (Best for: Cost-sensitive applications with high download volumes)
  • Uploadthing / Filepond: Managed upload services with pre-built React components, automatic image optimization, and simple API integration. (Best for: MVPs and indie projects that need file uploads without infrastructure setup)

Estimated Hours

Simple: 8-15 hours | Moderate: 15-30 hours | Complex: 30-60 hours

Frequently Asked Questions

What file size limits can you support?
With chunked uploads, there is no practical file size limit. We typically configure 5GB per file for standard uploads, with custom limits available. Each chunk is 5-10MB, allowing reliable uploads even on mobile networks.
Can you convert uploaded documents to other formats?
Yes. We implement server-side conversion for common formats: images to WebP/AVIF, documents to PDF, videos to HLS/MP4, and spreadsheets to CSV/JSON. Conversion happens asynchronously with webhook notifications.
How do you handle private file access?
Private files are served via time-limited presigned URLs (typically 15-60 minutes). Access is verified against your application's authorization layer before generating each URL.