Increasing the limits on simultaneous file uploads

[sethchandler]

I don't like the limit of 10 files at a time on upload and I am not clear why it exists (I will probably find out!). So, with the help of Claude.ai and a lot of spelunking, we developed a way to increase the limit. Here is what seems to work. If anyone is aware of (a) a better way or (b) why this is a really bad idea, let me know! I do have a reverser script, which I include at the bottom.

How to Increase LibreChat File Upload Limit from 10 to 100+ Files

Prerequisites

• LibreChat installed locally (not just using pre-built Docker images)
• Terminal/command line access
• Basic familiarity with text editors

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Create Backups (Safety First!)

cd /path/to/LibreChat
cp docker-compose.override.yml docker-compose.override.yml.backup
cp ./packages/data-provider/src/file-config.ts ./packages/data-provider/src/file-config.ts.backup

2. Modify the File Limit

Edit the configuration file:

nano ./packages/data-provider/src/file-config.ts

Find these two lines (around lines 190 and 203):

fileLimit: 10,

Change both to your desired limit:

fileLimit: 100,

Save and exit (Ctrl+X, then Y, then Enter in nano).

3. Verify the Change

grep "fileLimit:" ./packages/data-provider/src/file-config.ts

You should see:

  fileLimit: 100,
      fileLimit: 100,
  fileLimit: z.number().min(0).optional(),

4. Configure Docker to Build from Source

Create or update docker-compose.override.yml:

cat > docker-compose.override.yml << 'EOF'
services:
  api:
    image: null
    build:
      context: .
      target: node
    volumes:
    - type: bind
      source: ./librechat.yaml
      target: /app/librechat.yaml
  rag_api:
    image: ghcr.io/danny-avila/librechat-rag-api-dev:latest
EOF

Note: If you already have a docker-compose.override.yml with other customizations, add the image: null and build: section to your existing api: service config.

5. Rebuild and Restart LibreChat

docker compose down
docker compose build --no-cache
docker compose up -d

This will take 5-10 minutes as it builds from source.

6. Clear Browser Cache

In your browser:

• Hard refresh: Cmd+Shift+R (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows/Linux)
• Or: Open DevTools (F12) → Right-click refresh button → "Empty Cache and Hard Reload"

7. Test It!

Try uploading more than 10 files. You should now be able to upload up to 100 files at once.

Troubleshooting

If Something Goes Wrong

Restore your original setup:

cp docker-compose.override.yml.backup docker-compose.override.yml
docker compose down
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

If Upload Limit Still Shows 10

1. Verify the build included your changes:

grep -o "fileLimit:[0-9]*" ./packages/data-provider/dist/index.es.js | sort | uniq

Should show fileLimit:100

2. Check Docker is using your local build, not pulling pre-built image:

docker ps

Should NOT show ghcr.io/danny-avila/librechat-dev:latest if building from source

3. Force complete rebuild:

docker compose down
docker compose build --no-cache
docker compose up -d

What This Changes

• File upload limit: 10 → 100 files per upload
• Applies to: All endpoints (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, etc.) and Assistants/Agents
• Does not affect: Individual file size limits, total size limits, or supported file types

Alternative: Different Limit per Endpoint

If you want different limits for different endpoints, edit file-config.ts:

const assistantsFileConfig = {
  fileLimit: 50,  // Limit for Assistants/Agents
  // ...
};

export const fileConfig = {
  endpoints: {
    // ...
    default: {
      fileLimit: 100,  // Limit for regular chat
      // ...
    },
  },
};

Reverser Procedure

cat > restore-librechat.sh << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
echo "Restoring LibreChat to original state..."
cp docker-compose.override.yml.backup docker-compose.override.yml
docker compose down
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d
echo "LibreChat restored! Check http://localhost:3080"
EOF

chmod +x restore-librechat.sh

and then just ...

./restore-librechat.sh