Attach a file to a SKU

POST /items/{sku}/assets

The body is the raw file — not multipart, not JSON — streamed into the private bucket, with filename and the upload's reference in the query string and the media type in Content-Type. At most 100 MiB: a larger Content-Length is refused before a byte is read, and a body that grows past the cap is cut off with 413 AssetTooLarge and nothing stored. Appends inventory.asset-uploaded and answers the asset with a signed URL (201). Idempotent on reference: the asset id is derived from it, so a retry re-mints the same ast_ id, is acknowledged from the journal and appends nothing. 404 ItemNotFound if the owner does not exist; 404 AssetNotFound if the retried upload's asset has since been removed.

Access

Requires products:write or stock:write.

Any one of these scopes is enough.

How scopes come from roles: Scopes and roles. Getting a token: Authentication and app tokens.

Retries

Idempotent on reference: the asset id is derived from it, so a retry re-mints the same ast_ id, is acknowledged from the journal and appends nothing.

A retry with the same key answers 201, with what the first call recorded.

Why every write carries a key: Idempotency and retries.

Facts appended

inventory.asset-uploaded

What a fact is: Facts and the journal.

AI agent tool

No agent tool. The file's raw bytes are the request body, which a JSON tool call cannot carry; photos and spec sheets are uploaded in the admin.

Connecting an agent: AI agents.

Example

From Attach a photo to a SKU, step 2: Upload the photo.

curl

curl -X POST 'https://inventory.getmanifold.io/items/WIDGET-PHOTO/assets?filename=front.png&reference=upload%3AWIDGET-PHOTO%3Afront' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MANIFOLD_TOKEN" \
  -H 'Content-Type: image/png' \
  --data-binary @front.png

JavaScript (fetch)

import { openAsBlob } from "node:fs";

const response = await fetch("https://inventory.getmanifold.io/items/WIDGET-PHOTO/assets?filename=front.png&reference=upload%3AWIDGET-PHOTO%3Afront", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.MANIFOLD_TOKEN}`, "Content-Type": "image/png" },
  body: await openAsBlob("front.png"),
});
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`${response.status}: ${await response.text()}`);
const answer = await response.json();

Request body · image/png

(the file front.png, sent as image/png)

Response · 201 · application/json

{
  "id": "ast_01a15861-f150-7e8f-9a0b-1c2d3e4f5a6b",
  "owner": {
    "_tag": "sku",
    "sku": "WIDGET-PHOTO"
  },
  "filename": "front.png",
  "contentType": "image/png",
  "size": 27,
  "uploadedAt": "2026-08-17T09:00:00.000Z",
  "url": "https://files.example/org_…/ast_3c1f9a2e-…?X-Amz-Expires=900&X-Amz-Signature=…",
  "urlExpiresAt": "2026-08-17T09:00:00.000Z"
}

The panel writes this call in other languages. It does not send it: Manifold's APIs do not take calls from a web page on another site, so run the call from your own code or terminal. The whole API as OpenAPI: inventory-manager.openapi.json. Base URL https://inventory.getmanifold.io.

Errors

Every refusal is a status and a JSON body whose _tag names it. A refused call changes nothing. Some can answer a retry of a call that already worked: they are marked.

`400`

Refusal	What it means	What to do
`AssetUnreadable` reason	The file is empty, or its `Content-Type` is not one a file can be stored as.	Send the file's bytes with its own `Content-Type`.

`401`

Refusal	What it means	What to do
`Unauthorized` reason	The token is missing, expired or not one Manifold issued.	Get a fresh token and send the call again.
`TokenAlreadyUsed` tokenId	A single-use app token was already spent.	Mint a new token for this call.

`402`

Refusal	What it means	What to do
`SubscriptionRequired` status	The organization's subscription has lapsed, so writes are refused.	An owner settles billing. Reads still work meanwhile.

`403`

Refusal	What it means	What to do
`TenantRequired` userId	The token names no organization.	Choose the organization, then get a new token.
`ScopeRequired` required	The token's roles do not grant the scope this call needs.	Ask an owner or admin for a role that grants it.

`404`

Refusal	What it means	What to do
`ItemNotFound` sku	The owner does not exist.	Check the id in the path or the body.
`AssetNotFound` assetId Can answer a retry	No such record in this organization.	If this answers a retry, your first call probably landed. Read the record before doing anything else.

`409`

Refusal	What it means	What to do
`MirroredFromSource` source	This area is fed by your source system until the organization goes live.	Make the change in the source system, or go live first.

`413`

Refusal	What it means	What to do
`AssetTooLarge` limit, size	The file is over the size limit. `limit` gives it in bytes.	Send a smaller file.

`503`

Refusal	What it means	What to do
`AssetStoreUnavailable` reason	File storage did not answer, so nothing was stored.	Send the same request again, with the same key.
`RequestLogUnavailable` tokenId, reason	The service could not record the request, so it did nothing.	Send the same request again, with the same key.

How refusals work everywhere: Errors.

Used in

Attach a photo to a SKU, step 2: Upload the photo
Attach a photo to a SKU, step 3: Retry it