Keep in mind when using Suomi.fi Messages to send attachments
Published 22/9/2025
Over 80% of Suomi.fi Messages users read their electronic messages with the Suomi.fi mobile application or on a mobile device browser in the Suomi.fi Web Service. Users have reported difficulties opening and saving attachments on mobile devices.
Make things easier for your customers by doing the following:
- make sure that the text content of your message is informative,
- give attachments a unique and descriptive name, which will make it easier to identify and save them.
The text content of a message from your organisation must always include the most important information, even when it comes with an attachment. This allows your customers to quickly read the information they need in the message without opening an attachment, as they can be difficult to read on a mobile device. We recommend including attachments only when they are documents that your customer may need to forward to someone else, for example.
Give attachments a unique and identifiable name
It is very important to give attachments a unique and identifiable name. Names like “decision_studentplace.pdf” or “patientdocument.docx” do describe the content but do not have a unique identifier, such as a date. A unique and descriptive name helps your customers find the attached file after it has been saved on a mobile device.
Duplicate file names may also cause a problem on some mobile devices. This is a problem that may emerge with services that regularly send customers similar messages with an attachment, such as an invoice.
Keep in mind the following depending on your choice of API
Organisations that use the REST, WS and SMTP APIs must give attachments a descriptive and unique name and design the text content in accordance with the instructions.
Users of the SFTP API do not need to name attachments, as Suomi.fi Messages generates file names based on the values your organisation provides to the LetterContentType element's attributes.
These include:
- invoice (invoice)
- wage slip (wageSlip)
- arrival notice (arrivalNotice)
- health care message (healthCare)
- reminder (reminder)
- archived item (archiveItem)
- message from an authority (authorityMessage)
- announcement (announcement)
If your organisation does not set any of the attributes, Suomi.fi Messages will name your attachment Viesti.pdf by default. Please make sure to set values that describe the content.
The Digital and Population Data Services Agency has made a change to the SFTP API’s name generation function. Attachments will now receive the date and timestamp automatically to provide them a unique identifier that sidesteps the issues caused by duplicate file names.
Detailed instructions on attachments and the design of text content
Keep in mind that these instructions mainly apply to the REST API. The old APIs will be discontinued on 1 January 2027.
Characteristics of a good electronic message: What should the sending organisation consider? - Suomi.fi for Service Developers
Further information
Digital and Population Data Services Agency, Customer service for organisations, organisaatiopalvelut@dvv.fi, tel. +358 295 535 115 (telephone service open Mon–Fri 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.)