How to Upload Images to Wikimedia Commons and Wikipedia

Learn how to upload your original images to Wikimedia Commons and embed them into Wikipedia articles using the Upload Wizard.

June 17, 2026 By Gábor Kiss

This guide shows you how to upload your original photography or artwork to Wikimedia Commons and embed it into a Wikipedia article. By following these steps, you can enrich Wikipedia pages that lack visual context and contribute valuable media to the public domain.

This guide is for Wikipedia editors, photographers, and open-source contributors looking to share their original media. Use this workflow whenever you have high-quality, self-created images that can improve a text-heavy Wikipedia article.

Before uploading an image to Wikipedia, ensure your media complies with Wikipedia's strict licensing rules.

Media Type	Description
Original Work	Media you created entirely yourself, such as your own photographs or digital diagrams.
Compatibly Licensed	Works created by others but explicitly released under a license compatible with Wikipedia.
Public Domain	Works that are not restricted by copyright, such as historical photographs.

Wikimedia Commons does not accept copyrighted material without permission. Only upload files that meet the criteria above.

Step #1: Locate the original image on your computer that you want to upload. — Locate the original image on your computer that you want to upload.

Navigate to commons.wikimedia.org.

Step #3: Click Log In and authenticate with your standard Wikipedia account credentials. — Click **Log In** and authenticate with your standard Wikipedia account credentials.

Step #4: Click Upload file in the left-hand navigation menu to open the Upload Wizard. — Click **Upload file** in the left-hand navigation menu to open the Upload Wizard.

Step #5: Review the licensing guidelines comic and click Next. — Review the licensing guidelines comic and click **Next**.

Step #6: Click Select a media file to donate and select your image. — Click **Select a media file to donate** and select your image.

Step #7: Click Continue once the upload progress bar completes. — Click **Continue** once the upload progress bar completes.

Step #8: Select This file is my own work to confirm your copyright ownership. — Select **This file is my own work** to confirm your copyright ownership.

Type your name or username in the copyright holder field to specify how you want to be credited.

Enter a concise, descriptive title that differentiates your image from similar files.

Enter a detailed description explaining where and how the image was made, and identifying the subject.

Add the image to relevant Wikimedia Commons categories to help others find it.

Step #14: Click Next to publish your file to Commons. — Click **Next** to publish your file to Commons.

The final page provides the wikitext needed to embed your newly uploaded image into a Wikipedia article.

Step #15: Copy the wikitext provided inside the To use the file in a wiki: box. — Copy the wikitext provided inside the **To use the file in a wiki:** box.

Navigate to your target Wikipedia article, open the editor, and paste the copied wikitext where the image should appear.

The standard format for an embedded image looks like [[File:YourImage.jpg|thumb|Your descriptive caption]]. Ensure your caption clearly connects the image to the surrounding article text.

Enter a brief edit summary explaining that you added an image to the article.

Step #18: Click Save page to publish your changes. — Click **Save page** to publish your changes.

Q: Do I need a separate account to upload files to Wikimedia Commons?

A: No, you can log in to Wikimedia Commons using your existing Wikipedia account credentials.

Q: What kinds of images are allowed on Wikimedia Commons?

A: You can only upload original works you created yourself, works explicitly released under a Wikipedia-compatible license, or works in the public domain.

Q: How do I format an image so it appears correctly in a Wikipedia article?

A: Enclose the file name in double square brackets, separated by pipes for the thumbnail setting and caption. For example: [[File:ImageName.jpg|thumb|Description]].

Term	Definition
Wikimedia Commons	A media repository of free-use images, sounds, and other media that can be used across all Wikipedia projects.
Upload Wizard	A step-by-step tool on Wikimedia Commons designed to help users upload files and assign appropriate copyright licenses.
Public Domain	Creative materials that are not protected by intellectual property laws, meaning anyone can use them without permission.
Wikitext	The lightweight markup language used to write and format pages on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia wikis.
Edit Summary	A brief explanation provided by a Wikipedia editor detailing what changes were made to a page and why.

Media Type

Description

Original Work

Media you created entirely yourself, such as your own photographs or digital diagrams.

Compatibly Licensed

Works created by others but explicitly released under a license compatible with Wikipedia.

Public Domain

Works that are not restricted by copyright, such as historical photographs.

Term

Definition

Wikimedia Commons

A media repository of free-use images, sounds, and other media that can be used across all Wikipedia projects.

Upload Wizard

A step-by-step tool on Wikimedia Commons designed to help users upload files and assign appropriate copyright licenses.

Public Domain

Creative materials that are not protected by intellectual property laws, meaning anyone can use them without permission.

Wikitext

The lightweight markup language used to write and format pages on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia wikis.

Edit Summary

A brief explanation provided by a Wikipedia editor detailing what changes were made to a page and why.