> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://paper.brimble.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Files

> Mount small config and secret files into a project's container.

**Files** is a project tab for small config and secret files. You upload a text file, set an absolute path, and Brimble mounts it into the container on the next redeploy.

This is not the project's source tree, git files, or a file browser. Use it when the app needs a real file on disk, such as a TLS cert, a service-account JSON, a `firebase.json`, or a PHP `ini`. For key/value settings, use [environment variables](/environments/environment-variables). For writable storage that survives restarts, use a [persistent disk](/projects/persistent-disk).

The tab appears on container projects (web service, worker, MCP server). It is hidden on static sites, HTML-only projects, and databases.

## Add a file

1. Open the project.
2. Go to **Files**.
3. Click **Add file**.
4. Upload a text file (drag and drop or choose a file).
5. Set **Name** (a label in the dashboard) and **Mount path** (the path inside the container).
6. Leave **Secret** on if the contents should stay hidden in the dashboard. The mount path stays visible either way.
7. Click **Create**.

The dashboard then offers **Redeploy**. The file is not in the running container until a redeploy finishes.

Mount path rules:

* Must be absolute, for example `/etc/app/config.yaml`.
* Must not contain `..`.

Limits:

* Text files only.
* **1 MB** per file.

<Frame caption="The Files tab on a project, with Add file and the empty state.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/brimble-86/oT3CF01zm8cLCZMF/images/projects/files-tab.jpg?fit=max&auto=format&n=oT3CF01zm8cLCZMF&q=85&s=404a0aebad4fa65cb5f5df8e29d2dd93" alt="Files tab showing the 1 MB helper text, Learn more link, Add file button, and empty state" width="5088" height="3366" data-path="images/projects/files-tab.jpg" />
</Frame>

## Edit or replace a file

Click the pencil on a row. You can change the name, mount path, and Secret setting. Upload a new file only if you want to replace the contents.

Secret files load their contents when a writer opens the editor. Readers can see the list, not the secret body.

## Delete a file

Click the trash icon and confirm. Redeploy so the container no longer has that path.

## Apply changes

Creating, updating, or deleting a file does not restart the project. The next launch or a **Redeploy** from the toast mounts the current set.

## When to use Files vs something else

| Need                                                      | Use                                                          |
| --------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| A string the process reads from the environment           | [Environment variables](/environments/environment-variables) |
| A small file the process opens by path                    | **Files**                                                    |
| Uploads, SQLite, or other data that must survive redeploy | [Persistent disk](/projects/persistent-disk)                 |
| Large objects, public assets, or S3-style access          | [Object storage](/object-storage/overview)                   |

A WordPress example that raises PHP upload limits lives in [Deploy WordPress](/projects/deploy-wordpress#step-7-larger-uploads-optional).

## Next steps

* [Environment variables](/environments/environment-variables)
* [Persistent disk](/projects/persistent-disk)
* [Deployments](/projects/deployments)