Commons:First steps/Uploading files

First steps

First steps tour

• Understanding Commons
• Creating an account
• File uploading
• License selection

Tips & tricks

• A perfect upload
• Sorting of files
• Tools that make life easier
• Useful media software

Third parties

• Reuse of Commons’ media files

Need help with uploading files? Ask my question

When you want to add an image to Wikipedia or donate it to our collection, you have to upload it to our site and give us some information about the image. Here is how:

Help before you begin

• You need to have the image file you want to upload on your computer.
• You need an account on Wikipedia or Wikimedia Commons to upload files.

Log in Create an account

What can I upload?

Understand what kinds of uploads Wikimedia Commons can accept.

Images that you upload to Wikimedia Commons have to be educational and freely licensed. While "educational" may be a vague category, "freely licensed" is quite specific:

• We can accept most images that you create entirely by yourself, so long as your image does not itself depict another copyrighted work. Examples »
• We can accept images created by others as long as the copyright holder of that image is willing to license/ has already licensed it freely.
• We cannot accept images created or inspired by others without their express permission (verified via our VRT system).
• We cannot accept any image which is not freely licensed or clearly in the public domain— most images found on the Web are not freely licensed and will be quickly deleted from Commons.
• Commons is not a repository for your personal photos – we are not a web hosting service like Facebook or Pinterest, and all of our images must have potential educational use. Learn more »

Uploading an image

To upload files to Wikimedia Commons, use the Upload Wizard.

Getting started

Go to the Upload Wizard on Wikimedia Commons. You can always get to it from the Upload file link in the menu on the left.

On the first page of the wizard, read the illustration to understand whether Wikimedia Commons can accept your upload.

When you're ready to upload, click Next near the end of the page.

Click Select media files to share and find the image or images you want to upload from your computer.

Licensing your file

Click Continue and select the options that apply to your upload, as prompted. When you are done, click Next. More information »

Organizing and describing your upload

Enter a title for the image. Use plain, descriptive language. Then enter a description of the image and the date it was created.

Help organize Wikimedia Commons by assigning categories to your file. When you are done, click Next.

After this, your upload will be published and complete.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons pages:

• Project scope

Help

Ways to get help

• Look at the Frequently Asked Questions.
• If you place {{helpme}} on your talk page, a volunteer will visit you there as soon as possible!
• Join the #wikimedia-commons IRC channel for real-time chat. New to IRC? Click here to be connected instantly!
• Go to the Commons Help Desk.