Help:Uploading files

Files like images and sound clips are an integral part of wikis. They allow readers to get a sense of the information in pages with visual guides. To do this, you must first upload files to the wiki where you want to use them. You also must be logged in to do this.

Step by step
There are a few different methods you can use to upload files. Some are a bit more complex, but each one leads to the same result: populating your pages with images!

Add images tool
The easiest method is inserting an image directly via the text editor.


 * Click "Edit" on the article you are adding the file to.
 * Click on the image upload button on the toolbar. It appears as a picture with a brown frame (see image below).
 * When the pop-up box appears, you can upload an image from your computer. Additionally, you can find images already on the wiki to add to the article, as well as images on Flickr.
 * On the next screen, add the details of the image, such as a new name (if needed) and the licensing template.
 * Beneath the previous section is a section that allows you to customize the image's size, choose a layout, and provide a caption.
 * Click “Insert file” for the image to appear on the edit page. Images can still be modified in edit mode by hovering over the image and clicking "Modify," and a pop-up window will appear.
 * Save your edit and you now have a picture on the page!

Image placeholder
An additional method is the image placeholder. Unless you have chosen not to see these in your preferences, many articles are created with image placeholders.


 * Placeholders can also be added to articles by typing [[File:Placeholder]] in place of an image, if said placeholder hasn't already been automatically added.
 * If this is used, click "Add a photo" and follow the steps beginning at the third bullet point from the previous "Add images tool" section.

Special:Upload
One final, though more complicated, method is Special:Upload. You can find this by typing it into the search bar or adding it to your My Tools menu on the floating toolbar.


 * Click "Browse" next to the "Source filename" box to find the image on your computer.
 * You can rename the image in "Destination filename" if you would like.
 * In the "Summary" section, you can add a description and a source to the image.
 * Select the license in the "Licensing" section.
 * Click "Upload file" to upload an image to your wiki, and then place it into your article!

Some wikis have customized the Special:Upload page, so be sure to take note of any local instructions.

What file types are allowed on Wikia?
File types that can be uploaded are .png, .gif, .jpg, .jpeg, .ico, .ogg, .pdf, .xcf, .svg, .mid, .odt, .ods, .odp, .odg, .odc, .odf, .odi, and .odm. Some wikis may be allowed additional file types on request.

What size files can I upload?
The maximum size of uploads on Wikia is 10 MB, but it's always a good idea to keep your file sizes as small as possible. Remember, if you upload a 10 MB file, then readers have to download it when they view full image!

There is no limit to the number of files you can upload, but images and other files should be uploaded for use on the wiki. Wikis shouldn't be used just as file stores!

Re-size an image
When uploading an image, it is best to upload it at the largest legal size you can upload to the wiki. This is because MediaWiki can re-size the image that people see to any size you want without making them need to load the large image. More instruction on this can be found here.