Plans - Files - Associate Files with Work Items

This article explains how to associate files and links with work items so related materials are easy to find in context. This helps keep supporting documentation—such as requirements, designs, or reference links—connected to the work they support.

What You Will Accomplish
By the end of this article, you will be able to associate existing files and links with a work item and remove them when they are no longer needed.

Requirements

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• A OnePlan account with Owner or Contributor permissions to add or remove file associations
• Access to the plan that contains the work item
• Files or links already available in the plan‑level Files app

Note
Readers can view associated files but cannot add or remove them.

Background

All files and links used by work items are managed at the plan level in the Files app. OnePlan does not store file content. When you associate a file or link with a work item, OnePlan creates an association to the plan‑level file. The work item does not store a separate copy.

Because work items reference the original file rather than storing a copy:

• Updates to a file are reflected automatically everywhere it is associated
• Removing an association does not delete the file
• Access to open a file depends on Microsoft 365 permissions for the underlying storage location

To learn how to add and manage plan‑level files, see
Using the Plan Files App Tab in OnePlan.

Instructions

Access Work Item Files

1. Select the hamburger menu > Quick Edit for the work item you want to update.
2. Go to the Files tab.

Here you will find a list of all files and links associated with the work item. From this interface, you can add files or links to the work item or remove existing associations.

Link a File to the Work Item

You can add links to documents using the work item Files interface.

1. Open the work item Files tab (hamburger > Quick Edit > Files).
2. Select Add New > Link File.
   
3. Enter a display name and URL, then select Save.
   

The linked document will be listed in the Files tab for the work item.

Additionally, the linked document will be added to the plan‑level Files library.

Upload a File for the Work Item

This option is only available when the plan is connected to Microsoft Teams (and SharePoint). You can upload documents directly from the work item Files interface. This adds the file to the Teams / SharePoint library and makes it accessible from both the plan‑level Files library and the work item Files tab.

1. Open the work item Files tab (hamburger > Quick Edit > Files).
2. Select Add New > Upload.
   
3. Browse for files using File Explorer, or drag and drop files into the File Upload section.
4. Select Upload. The files upload to the Teams / SharePoint library and become available from the Files tab in OnePlan.

Add an Existing File to the Work Item

An existing file is a document that is already available in the plan‑level Files library. This can include linked documents or documents stored in the Teams / SharePoint library connected to the plan through the Files app.

Note
You cannot associate folders with a work item—only individual files.

1. Open the work item Files tab (hamburger > Quick Edit > Files).
2. Select Add New > Add Existing.
   
3. Select the file(s) you want to associate with the work item.
4. Select Link Selected to associate the files with the work item.

Remove an Associated File or Link

1. Open the work item Files tab (hamburger > Quick Edit > Files).
2. Select the hamburger menu for the file, then select Remove.

Removing an attachment deletes the association only. The file or link remains available in the plan‑level Files app.