Media questions in KoboToolbox

Last updated: 20 Mar 2026

Many data collection projects require more than just quantitative data. KoboToolbox allows you to capture various media files from respondents, including photos, audio recordings, videos, and files, to provide key qualitative information and add visual and auditory depth to your datasets.

The method of capturing or uploading media depends on whether you are using KoboCollect or Enketo web forms for data collection. In KoboCollect, you can either upload or record media files directly within the app. With Enketo, you can upload any media file, and record audio directly within the forms.

This article covers the following topics:

  • Available media question types in KoboToolbox

  • Adding media questions in the Formbuilder

  • Default and advanced appearances of media questions

  • Parameters for media questions

Media question types

The following media question types are available in the KoboToolbox Formbuilder:

Question type

Description

Photo

Capture or upload an image

Audio

Record or upload an audio file

Video

Record or upload a video file

File

Attach a file (e.g., .pdf, .docx)

Barcode / QR Code

Scan barcodes and QR codes using the device camera

Note: KoboToolbox also supports background audio recordings for entire interviews or focus group discussions. When background audio recording is active on a form, Audio question types in KoboCollect are deactivated, as it is not possible to record audio using both features simultaneously. For more information, see Recording interviews with background audio recording.

Adding media questions in the Formbuilder

To add a media question to your form:

  1. Click the button.

  2. Enter your question label.

  3. Click + ADD QUESTION.

  4. Choose the appropriate question type.

Add a media question to Formbuilder

Appearances of media questions

Media questions can display differently depending on whether you are using Enketo web forms or KoboCollect. You can also change the default appearance of media questions. This section details how each question type appears across both platforms, including default and advanced appearance options.

Default appearances

The table below shows how media questions are displayed by default in Enketo web forms and KoboCollect.

Default appearances of media questions

Note: Barcode / QR Code questions are supported only in KoboCollect on mobile devices. When a code is scanned using the device’s camera, the value encoded in the barcode or QR code is automatically captured. In Enketo web forms, this question type appears as a standard text field, where respondents must manually enter the value.

Advanced appearances

You can apply advanced appearances to Photo and Barcode / QR Code questions to modify how they display and behave in your form. Advanced appearances for Photo questions allow users to do more than simply upload or capture an image, including drawing sketches, adding signatures, annotating images, and taking selfies directly within the form.

To add an advanced appearance:

  1. Open the question settings by clicking Settings to the right of the question. This will take you to the Question Options tab.

  2. In Appearance (Advanced), choose the desired appearance.

    • If the appearance is not listed, select Other and type the name of the appearance in the text box, exactly as written above.

Question appearances

Available appearances for Photo questions include:

Appearance

Description

signature

Allows the user to capture a signature by signing directly on the device’s screen (e.g., for forms that require a digital signature for verification).

draw

Enables users to sketch or create drawings directly on the device’s screen (e.g., to capture illustrations or hand-drawn maps).

annotate

Allows the user to annotate an image by drawing or writing on it.

new (other)

Prompts the user to take a new picture using the device camera (only available when using KoboCollect).

new-front (other)

Prompts the user to take a new picture using the device’s front-facing camera (only available when using KoboCollect).

For Barcode / QR Code questions, there is only one advanced appearance available:

Appearance

Description

front

Switches from the device’s default rear camera to the front-facing camera.

Parameters for media questions

Beyond their basic function, media questions also offer advanced parameters that allow you to manage file sizes and restrict accepted file types.

Note: Each file uploaded by a respondent can be up to 10 MB in size, with a maximum total of 100 MB per submission.

Lowering image sizes

If your project involves collecting a significant amount of media, you might encounter difficulties uploading files to KoboToolbox, depending on your internet speed. Users of the Community Plan are also limited to 1GB of free file storage. Therefore, it is advisable to manage the file sizes of the media files you collect.

To define the maximum size of images collected using the Photo question type:

  1. Open the question settings by clicking Settings to the right of the question. This will take you to the Question Options tab.

  2. Set the max-pixels parameter to the value of your choice (e.g., 1000).

image

Note: You can also configure video resolution and image size in KoboCollect settings.

Restricting accepted file types

By default, the File question type accepts all file types. To restrict the type of files this question accepts:

  1. Open the question settings by clicking Settings to the right of the question. This will take you to the Question Options tab.

  2. In the Accepted Files text box, list the file extensions that you would like to allow, separated by a comma (e.g., .doc, .pdf, .xlsx)

image

Troubleshooting

Collecting multiple images or media files Media question types only support uploading one file at a time. To allow users to upload multiple files, you can place the media question within a repeat group, or duplicate the media question in the form as many times as needed. You can use skip logic to display subsequent media questions only if the previous one is not blank.

Audio recording in Enketo prevents access to other questions When a user records an audio question in Enketo, other questions are locked until the recording is complete. This ensures that the audio is fully captured before the user proceeds with the rest of the form.

Collecting EXIF data from uploaded images When images are uploaded through Enketo or KoboToolbox, EXIF data is not preserved by default. To retain EXIF data, use a File question type and set the Accepted Files parameter (body::accept in XLSForm) to .jpg, .jpeg, .png.

Supported barcode / QR code formats KoboCollect supports a wide range of barcode and QR code formats, including UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8, EAN-13, Code 39, Code 93, Code 128, Codabar, ITF, RSS-14, RSS-Expanded, QR Code, Data Matrix, Aztec, PDF 417, and MaxiCode. If a barcode cannot be scanned, verify that it uses one of these supported formats.