Migrating attachments: turn legacy attachments into real documents

Your benefit

Clean data structure. Attachments that belong to the main contract sit on the main contract as documents — not as separate contract records that nobody needs.
Correct number of contracts in reporting. Attachments no longer count as contracts in their own right — your statistics show the real contract figures.
Easier searching and a better overview. One main contract with all the relevant PDFs together is easier to find than 5 linked pseudo-contracts.
Less maintenance effort. No duplicate master data and no contradictory status information between the main contract and the “attachment contract”.

When does this make sense?

This function is worthwhile if, on the Linked [Verknüpft] tab of a contract, you see entries that are not actually contracts in their own right but merely attachments:

Addenda, annexes and supplements that have been created as a linked contract (often with titles such as “Annex 1 [Anhang 1]”, “Annex A [Anlage A]” or “Supplementary agreement [Zusatzvereinbarung]”).
Scanned supplementary PDFs that were only added as an attachment contract.
Images or plans (e.g. floor plans for a tenancy agreement) that occupy a contract record of their own even though they are not real contracts.

If, on the other hand, the linked entries are genuinely independent contracts (e.g. a maintenance contract that belongs to a supply contract but runs independently), leave the link in place — it has a value of its own.

Typical use cases

Legacy data migration from a previous system. During the original migration, attachments were often created as “mini contracts” because the previous system had no real document attachments. This clean-up brings the data structure up to today's standard.
Before a change of contract partner. When you review all contracts for one contract partner, it is easier if attachments are where they belong — on the main contract.

Frequently asked questions

What happens to the master data of the attachment contract?
Attachment contracts typically contain only a title and the PDF — no real master data such as contract start, partner or term. If master data has been maintained after all, ContractHero shows you before the conversion what will be carried over and what will be dropped.

Is the contract title retained as the file name?
By default, the title of the attachment contract becomes the file name of the document. You can still adjust the name before saving if necessary.

Can the action be undone?
No, it cannot be undone. The attachment contract is deleted — the PDF remains as a document on the main contract. Before you confirm the conversion, check whether the linked entry really is not a genuine contract with obligations of its own.

What happens to links, tags and tasks on the attachment contract?
Tags on the attachment contract are removed during the conversion — they are usually not relevant. Tasks that were attached directly to the attachment contract should be checked beforehand and moved to the main contract if necessary. Links to other contracts are deleted along with the attachment contract.

Who is allowed to perform this action?
You need write permissions for the main contract and for the attachment contract. Owners and admins can always perform the conversion; restricted roles may not be able to.

Which file sizes are permitted?
The size limit on the document corresponds to the standard limit (currently 256 MB per file).

Does the function also migrate documents that are already attached to the attachment contract?
Yes. If the attachment contract contains several PDFs, all of them are created as documents on the main contract.

What happens to the change log?
The migration is documented in the change log [Änderungsprotokoll] of the main contract (document added, attachment contract deleted). You have full traceability of who migrated what and when.

Can I migrate several attachments at once?
The action is confirmed per entry — that is intentional, because every attachment can potentially contain sensitive data. For very large clean-up projects, get in touch with us — we can support you with a targeted bulk migration.

Good to know

Back things up before the migration. If you are unsure, export the affected contracts beforehand or create a Backup on Demand (see Related articles). That gives you a “before” state should the worst happen.
Start with a few test migrations. Before you migrate 100 attachments, run 2–3 test migrations and check the result. That way you spot any special cases (e.g. attachment contracts with master data) early on.
Recognising a pseudo-contract is a matter of judgement. ContractHero cannot decide automatically whether a linked contract is “just an attachment” or “a genuine contract of its own”. You have to decide that on the substance. Common indicators: no contract date of its own, no partner of its own, a title beginning with annex [Anhang], attachment [Anlage] or enclosure [Beilage].
Audit logs always available. Even after the migration, the change log continues to record when a PDF was added and when an attachment contract was deleted.
No auto-detection run. There is no automatic list saying “these 25 entries look like attachments”. Identification is done by hand on the Linked [Verknüpft] tab of each contract. For very large volumes, it is best if we discuss the approach together.

Not using this feature yet, or would you like to expand it?

Your account manager will show you how to carry out attachment migrations efficiently and safely — with large data volumes in particular, a guided approach is wiser than clicking through indiscriminately. 15 minutes is usually enough. Get in touch via the web chat or by email to support@contracthero.com.

What information does the change log give me?
Backups in ContractHero: automatic or on request

Updated on: 08/26/2026

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