Help:Managing files

English Best practices for using MediaWiki

If file uploads are enabled, you can upload certain types of files to the wiki. This is particularly useful for uploading images which you want to place on a page, but you can also upload other types of files.

To enable this feature, you may need to config>Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Configuring file uploads|configure file uploads.

Upload a file

 * 1) Prepare the file on your computer in its final format. Make sure the file is exactly as you want it.
 * 2) In the sidebar>Special:MyLanguage/Help:Navigation#Sidebar|sidebar, under "", click "".
 * 3) Click "Browse" next to the "” to locate the file on your computer.  (The "browse" button may have a different label depending on your web browser).


 * 1) Change the "" to something descriptive, if necessary.
 * 2) Fill in the "", if necessary.
 * 3) Click the "" button.

If it is a large file, you may need to wait several seconds for the upload to complete.

File description page
Each file gets its very own “file description page” on the wiki. The page name will be  followed by the destination filename you provided. You can edit this page to provide more information about the file. For example, many public wiki projects are quite sensitive to copyright issues, and so you should explain on the description page where you got the file from, and what its copyright status is. Any other useful descriptive notes could also be added there.

Using the file
After you've uploaded a new file, it doesn't automatically appear on any page -- not even the page you were on when you clicked on the "" link.

You must decide on which pages of the wiki you want it to appear.

You can embed pictures and other images in a page.

For instance, you may have uploaded a person's picture and want that picture to appear alongside the text on a page about that person. For information on how to embed an image, see images>Special:MyLanguage/Help:Images</>|Help:Images.

Some files may be of a type that cannot be embedded in a page (for example, a spreadsheet -- assuming the wiki allows such file types to be uploaded at all).

Or the file may be an image that is so large it's only useful on its own page (for example a detailed map).

Or you may simply be wanting to refer the readers to where they can download or replace the file.

In each of these cases you don't want to embed the file in another page; you just want the page to have a link to the file description page (or to the file itself).

For information on how to link to a file, see <tvar|1></>.

List of files in the wiki
There are a number of special pages to help you view and manage files which have been uploaded. Go to "<tvar|special></>" (in the <tvar|toolbox></> on the left) and then see...


 * <tvar|newimages>Special:Newimages</> - If you just uploaded one, you will see it here.
 * <tvar|imagelist>Special:Imagelist</> - Shows all of the files.
 * <tvar|unusedimages>Special:Unusedimages</> - Helps you track down files which might not be needed.

See special-pages>Special:MyLanguage/Help:Special pages</>|Help:Special pages for details of the other information available here.