---
title: "How to enable native files in Facebook Messenger"
description: "Optional toggle: PDFs and documents from Operator Line arrive as Messenger attachments instead of a text URL."
---

# How to enable native files in Facebook Messenger?

When an operator sends a PDF, DOCX, or another document in a **Facebook Messenger** dialog, the customer by default receives a **text message with a link** to the file. After you enable the option on the instance, the same file arrives as a **normal Messenger attachment**.

A root administrator turns it on. Operators do not need extra setup — they attach a file in the chat as usual.

## When you need this

- Customers complain that they see a long link in the text instead of a file.
- You want documents to open in Messenger as attachments (a file bubble), not as a URL in the message.
- You want to enable the feature safely on a test instance first, then on production.

## Key terms

- In the UI the toggle is named **Facebook native file attachments** (category **Integrations**).
- Default is **off** — instance behavior does not change until a root administrator enables it.
- The toggle affects **file** attachments only (PDFs, documents, and similar). **Images** and **video** work as before.
- After you turn it off, the system sends a text URL again. No instance restart is required.
- The feature applies to sends from **Operator Line** to the Facebook Messenger channel.

## Before you start

- [x] You are a root administrator and can open **Instance settings**.
- [x] Facebook Messenger is already connected on the instance (see [Connect Facebook Messenger / Instagram](/en/channels/how-to/connect-facebook-messenger-instagram.md)).
- [x] Optionally you already validated the behavior on a test instance.

## Step-by-step

1. Go to **Menu → Settings → Instance settings**.
2. Scroll to the platform feature toggles block (**Feature flags**).
3. Expand the **Integrations** category.
4. Turn on **Facebook native file attachments** and wait for save.
5. Open a Facebook Messenger dialog in Operator Line, attach a PDF (or another document), and send it.
6. Check on the customer side in Messenger: the file should appear as an attachment, not only as a URL in the text.

## What happens next

- Operators send files the same way as before (attachment control in the chat).
- The customer in Facebook Messenger receives the document as a native attachment.
- If there is text with the file, the text is sent as a separate message after the attachment.

## How to verify it worked

- Turn the toggle on → send a PDF in a test Facebook chat → Messenger shows a file attachment.
- Turn the toggle off → send again → the customer sees a link in the text again.

## Related materials

- [Configure instance settings](/en/settings/how-to/configure-instance.md)
- [Reply to a client](/en/operatorline/how-to/reply-to-client.md)
- [Connect Facebook Messenger / Instagram](/en/channels/how-to/connect-facebook-messenger-instagram.md)
- [Download attachments from a dialog](/en/operatorline/how-to/download-attachments.md)