My upload failed — what do I do?
Quick answer: Most upload failures are transient — network hiccups or the file size bumping against limits. Re-export the PDF, start a new project, and drop it in again. If it keeps failing, check the file is under 2 GB and is a valid PDF.
Common causes
- File over 2 GB. Our hard limit is 2 GB per file. Flatten the PDF, downsample images, or split and re-combine.
- Corrupted PDF. Plans exported from some CAD tools occasionally land on disk half-written. Re-export and try again.
- Network dropped mid-upload. Your browser retries once; if it still fails, the project gets stuck in "uploading."
- Browser tab closed. Upload state persists in your browser — reopen the pre-check page and CrossBeam will try to resume. If the file never finished landing on our end, you'll see a message to start over.
Steps to recover
- Go to Projects.
- Find the stuck project (status: Uploading or Failed).
- Open it. If you see "Upload didn't complete, go back and try again," that's us telling you the file isn't on our side.
- Delete the stuck project from the 3-dot menu on its card.
- Start a + New Project with a fresh export of the PDF.
If it keeps failing
- Try a different browser — Chrome, Firefox, and Safari all work.
- Try from a different network (home vs. office). Corporate firewalls sometimes block chunked uploads.
- Reach out to the team with the original file size, your browser, and a rough timestamp of the failure.