# Files API: Upload param file: binary Body... Confusing restriction

**URL:** <https://community.hubspot.com/t/files-api-upload-param-file-binary-body-confusing-restriction/82942>\
**Category:** APIs & Integrations\
**Tags:** free\
**Created:** [June 8, 2023, 12:36pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/files-api-upload-param-file-binary-body-confusing-restriction/82942 "2023-06-08T12:36:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jeff00seattle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@jeff00seattle](https://community.hubspot.com/u/jeff00seattle)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 12:36pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/files-api-upload-param-file-binary-body-confusing-restriction/82942/1 "2023-06-08T12:36:58Z")

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> **[Accounts Dashboard | HubSpot](https://app.hubspot.com/myaccounts?next=developerdocs&redirect=%2Fapi-reference%2Ffiles-files-v3%2Fguide)**

Files API Endpoint **Upload File** params, its commented restriction is confusing for its param

**file**

.

param **file** : binary Body param

File to be uploaded.

_ **Binary string test values are not supported.\<\<\< ???** _

??? This param expects **binary Body** but **not binary string test value**???

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**Author:** ![Jaycee\_Lewis](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/jaycee_lewis/32/61352_2.png) [@Jaycee\_Lewis](https://community.hubspot.com/u/Jaycee_Lewis)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2023, 7:11pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/files-api-upload-param-file-binary-body-confusing-restriction/82942/2 "2023-06-09T19:11:06Z")

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Hi, @jeff00seattle 👋 I can see why this might be confusing.

To clarify, this means that this API endpoint expects an actual file data, not just a binary string. Specifically, when you are testing this endpoint, you can’t just send a string of 1s and 0s as a file—you need to send an actual file.

Remember that the ‘file’ parameter should contain the binary content of the file you’re trying to upload. If you’re testing, you could use a small, simple file from your system to test the upload process.

I hope this helps get you moving forward! — Jaycee