---
id: KB-PR-014
url: https://app.codecontract.io/help/troubleshooting/something-appeared-that-i-did-not-upload
idioma: en
categoria: problemas
audiencia: usuario
nivel: basico
actualizado: 2026-08-13
tambienEn: [es]
relacionados: [KB-PR-007, KB-DI-010]
citadoPor: [KB-PR-022]
---

# Something appeared that I did not upload

_Documents that appear from nowhere: where they really come from and what to do with them._

**Responde a:** a document i did not upload appeared · where did this file come from · who uploaded this · documents arriving in the file on their own

A document appears in a file and nobody on the team remembers uploading it. Before worrying, check where it came from, because there are four possible origins and three are entirely normal.

## The four origins

| Origin | How to recognise it | Is it normal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The third party you asked supplied it | It shows as uploaded by the external participant | Yes, exactly what you wanted |
| A colleague uploaded it | Their name and time are recorded | Yes |
| The process itself generated it | A receipt, an acknowledgement, a signed document | Yes |
| None of the above | No expected author recorded | Here it is worth looking |

> [!IMPORTANT]
> The first is the answer in the vast majority of cases, and it surprises because whoever requested the document is not always who sees it appear. That is normal operation: the third party supplies and the file updates without anyone on the team touching anything.

## How to check, in a minute

1. **Look at who and when** — The activity log shows who uploaded it, from where and at what time.
2. **Check whether there was an open request** — If there was, it is almost certainly the answer to it.
3. **And if it does not add up, ask before deleting** — Deleting a document supplied by a third party means asking them again.

> [!WARNING]
> The mistake to avoid is deleting it as a precaution. If the supplier provided it and it is removed, the request stays open, the supplier believes they already sent it, and an argument starts that nobody needs.

## When it genuinely does not add up

**En corto**

- If the author is neither from your organisation nor an invited participant, tell an administrator.
- Do not delete it: it is more useful as evidence than gone.
- And review which external access is still active, which is usually the explanation.

The third line is nearly always the answer: someone outside granted access months ago and never withdrawn. It is not a security incident; it is an overdue clean-up.

> [!NOTE]
> A document appearing without you uploading it is one of the signs the system is working: it means the collecting work stopped being yours.

**Can we see which device it came from?**

The log keeps the action's context; an administrator can consult it.

**What if the document does not belong to that file?**

Move it to the right one and tell whoever uploaded it; it is usually human error.

**Can someone without permission upload?**

Only someone with access or an open request in their name.

## Ejemplos

**A manager sees a new certificate in a file and suspects a mistake.**

- Checks the log: the supplier uploaded it answering the request

→ Closes the request instead of deleting the document and asking again.

**A document appears that nobody on the team remembers uploading.**

- Checks who uploaded it and when

→ The origin is clarified without speculation.

**An external participant provides something without warning.**

- Checks the participant record

→ You learn which supplier sent it.

**A document arrives that does not belong to that file.**

- Moves it to the right file and gives notice

→ The error is corrected before anyone uses it.

**An automated process creates documents that come as a surprise.**

- Checks which integration generates them

→ The behaviour is understood and adjusted.

**There is a suspicion somebody accessed without permission.**

- Checks the audit trail

→ The suspicion is confirmed or dismissed with data.