Supabase Storage

When to Use

Apply when handling file uploads, downloads, and storage management in Supabase.

Patterns

Pattern 1: Upload File

// Source: https://supabase.com/docs/reference/javascript/storage-from-upload
async function uploadFile(file: File, userId: string) {
  const fileExt = file.name.split('.').pop();
  const fileName = `${userId}/${Date.now()}.${fileExt}`;

  const { data, error } = await supabase.storage
    .from('avatars') // bucket name
    .upload(fileName, file, {
      cacheControl: '3600',
      upsert: false, // false = error if exists, true = overwrite
    });

  if (error) throw error;
  return data.path;
}

Pattern 2: Get Public URL

// Source: https://supabase.com/docs/reference/javascript/storage-from-getpublicurl
// For public buckets
const { data } = supabase.storage
  .from('avatars')
  .getPublicUrl('user123/avatar.png');

const publicUrl = data.publicUrl;

// With transformations
const { data } = supabase.storage
  .from('avatars')
  .getPublicUrl('user123/avatar.png', {
    transform: { width: 200, height: 200, resize: 'cover' },
  });

Pattern 3: Signed URL (Private Buckets)

// Source: https://supabase.com/docs/reference/javascript/storage-from-createsignedurl
const { data, error } = await supabase.storage
  .from('private-docs')
  .createSignedUrl('user123/document.pdf', 3600); // 1 hour expiry

if (data) {
  window.open(data.signedUrl, '_blank');
}

Pattern 4: Delete File

// Source: https://supabase.com/docs/reference/javascript/storage-from-remove
const { error } = await supabase.storage
  .from('avatars')
  .remove(['user123/old-avatar.png']);

// Delete multiple
const { error } = await supabase.storage
  .from('avatars')
  .remove(['file1.png', 'file2.png', 'file3.png']);

Pattern 5: React Upload Component

// Source: https://supabase.com/docs/guides/storage
function AvatarUpload({ userId, onUpload }: Props) {
  const [uploading, setUploading] = useState(false);

  const handleUpload = async (e: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
    const file = e.target.files?.[0];
    if (!file) return;

    setUploading(true);
    try {
      const path = await uploadFile(file, userId);
      onUpload(path);
    } catch (error) {
      alert('Upload failed');
    } finally {
      setUploading(false);
    }
  };

  return (
    <input
      type="file"
      accept="image/*"
     
      disabled={uploading}
    />
  );
}

Anti-Patterns

• No file validation - Check size/type before upload
• Predictable paths - Use UUIDs or timestamps in paths
• No error handling - Handle upload failures gracefully
• Missing RLS on bucket - Configure storage policies

Verification Checklist

• File size limit enforced client-side
• File type validation (accept attribute + server)
• Unique file paths (prevent overwrites)
• Storage policies configured for bucket
• Loading state during upload