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To enable uploads, prepare a secure, writable upload directory and a PHP installation that accepts uploads, then add this setting to LocalSettings.php:
$wgEnableUploads = true;Users who have the upload permission can then use Special:Upload. The setting alone is not sufficient: PHP limits, directory permissions, file-type rules, web-server request limits, and script-execution protections all have to agree.
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MediaWiki stores uploaded files outside the page database, normally in the wiki installation’s images directory. A successful upload therefore depends on three separate layers:
- PHP: file uploads must be enabled, and PHP must permit a file of the requested size in both the request body and the temporary upload area.
- MediaWiki: uploads must be enabled, the user must have the
uploadright, and the file extension and detected MIME type must pass MediaWiki’s checks. - Web server and operating system: the upload directory must be writable by the web-server process but must not allow an uploaded script to execute.
If any one of these layers rejects the request, the user may see a generic failure even though the other settings are correct. Work through the following sequence rather than changing several unrelated settings at once.
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1. Confirm PHP upload support
Enable PHP file uploads
Open the PHP configuration used by the web server, not merely the configuration used by a command-line PHP binary. Set:
file_uploads = OnAfter changing the file, restart or reload the PHP handler and web server as required by your deployment. If the web server uses PHP-FPM, for example, the running FPM pool must be reloaded before it sees the new value.
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When open_basedir is enabled, its allowed paths must include both the MediaWiki upload directory (normally the wiki’s $IP/images) and PHP’s temporary upload directory. A missing temporary path can cause an upload to fail before MediaWiki can inspect it, while a missing images path prevents the final move into MediaWiki storage.
Identify the active configuration
Verify values through the PHP environment serving the wiki. A command-line php.ini can differ from the configuration used by Apache, nginx with PHP-FPM, or IIS. If a value appears correct in a shell but the web interface still reports a limit or upload error, inspect the web-serving PHP process and its pool-specific overrides.
2. Prepare and protect the upload directory
Use the directory MediaWiki expects
The default upload directory is usually images under the MediaWiki installation directory. Older installations may use uploads, and administrators can set a different path with $wgUploadDirectory. Confirm the actual configured path before changing permissions.
Give the web-server account write access
The account running the web server or PHP handler must be able to create directories and files there. The official manual recommends permissions equivalent to 755 for the directory and says uploaded files must not be executable. Ownership, access-control lists, and mandatory access controls such as SELinux can override ordinary mode bits, so check all three when a write fails.
Do not make the directory universally writable as a quick fix. Grant the minimum write access to the service account, retain ordinary read access needed to display files, and test creation and retrieval as the web process.
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Preserve web-server protections
MediaWiki installations include protection rules for the upload directory, commonly in a supplied .htaccess file. Keep those rules when moving or restoring the directory. If the site does not use Apache, apply equivalent rules in nginx, IIS, or the relevant server so a visitor cannot upload a server-side program and then request it for execution.
The critical security boundary is that an uploaded file may be downloadable data, but it must never become executable code in the web directory. Also consider disabling directory listings where your server would otherwise expose a browsable file index.
3. Turn on MediaWiki uploads
Edit LocalSettings.php
After PHP and storage are ready, edit the wiki’s LocalSettings.php and add the setting shown above. MediaWiki 1.5 and later use this setting in LocalSettings.php. Put it in the normal configuration area, after the MediaWiki installation bootstrap has been included, and ensure the PHP syntax remains valid.
Save the file, reload the wiki, and open Special:Upload. If the page is still unavailable, continue with the rights and troubleshooting checks instead of assuming the setting was ignored.
Understand the scope
$wgEnableUploads controls whether the upload feature is available. It does not grant every user permission, override prohibited extensions, increase PHP’s request limit, or make an unsafe directory safe. Those controls remain independent by design.
4. Give the right users permission to upload
The upload right
Uploading requires the upload user right. MediaWiki’s image-administration documentation says this is granted to logged-in users by default in a standard installation. Check the effective group permissions if your wiki uses custom groups, an access-control extension, or anonymous editing.
To restrict uploads, use $wgGroupPermissions for the group you intend to authorize rather than exposing the right to every visitor. Test with an account in that group and with an account outside it; an administrator account can hide an ordinary-user permission mistake.
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The reupload right is separate
The reupload right controls replacement of an existing file. A person may be allowed to add new files but not overwrite one already stored. Decide these rights separately, especially on a public or collaborative wiki where replacing an established file can affect many pages.
5. Allow the file formats your wiki needs
Add an extension deliberately
MediaWiki maintains an allowed-extension list. To add PDF support, for example, append the extension in LocalSettings.php:
$wgFileExtensions[] = 'pdf';Use the extension without a leading dot and apply the same approach for another format only after confirming that your server and users actually need it. The extension on the name is only one check; MediaWiki also evaluates the detected MIME type and its prohibited-extension rules.
Why an allowed extension can still fail
A file can be rejected when its content does not match the claimed extension, when MIME detection fails, or when the extension is prohibited by a higher-priority rule. Renaming a file, accepting every MIME type, or broadly weakening strict checks is not a safe repair. Investigate the file’s actual format and the server’s MIME-detection behavior first.
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The MediaWiki manual warns that disabling strict extension checks or changing prohibited extensions can expose users to security risks. Keep MIME verification and the normal prohibited-extension list enabled unless you have a documented, tested reason to change them. If a business workflow needs an unusual format, isolate the requirement, validate samples, and review how that format is served by the web server.
6. Align upload-size limits across every layer
The effective maximum is the smallest limit imposed by PHP, MediaWiki, and the web server. Raising only one value does not raise the limit users experience.
| Layer | Setting or default | What it limits | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| MediaWiki | $wgMaxUploadSize: 100 MiB |
MediaWiki’s configured maximum upload size | Current MediaWiki core configuration-schema default; a local configuration or release-specific change may differ. |
| PHP | upload_max_filesize: 2 MB |
Maximum size of an individual uploaded file | Default documented by the MediaWiki upload manual; your PHP package or administrator may set another value. |
| PHP | post_max_size: 8 MB |
Maximum size of the complete POST request, including fields and uploaded data | Default documented by the MediaWiki upload manual; it must be large enough for the file plus request overhead. |
| Web server | Request-body limit | Whether the request reaches PHP at all | nginx, Apache, IIS, a reverse proxy, or a hosting control panel may impose an additional limit; the applicable value is installation-specific. |
Raise PHP values coherently
For a target file size above the documented 2 MB PHP default, raise both directives in the PHP configuration used by the web request. Set post_max_size higher than upload_max_filesize so the multipart request has room for form fields and overhead. Then reload the PHP service and verify the running values.
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Check MediaWiki and the front-end server
Set $wgMaxUploadSize no higher than the limit your PHP and front-end server can actually accept. If a reverse proxy or web server rejects the request first, MediaWiki cannot produce a useful upload error because it never receives the file. Compare all values when users report that small files work but larger ones fail.
Use the smallest-limit rule when diagnosing
For example, a wiki with MediaWiki’s 100 MiB default still cannot accept a 20 MiB file if PHP allows only 2 MB. Conversely, raising PHP to 100 MiB does not help when the web server accepts only a smaller request. Record the value and scope of each limit so a later package update or hosting change does not silently reduce it.
7. Upload through Special:Upload
Normal single-file workflow
- Sign in with an account that has the
uploadright. - Open Special:Upload.
- Choose the local file and enter the description and destination information requested by the form.
- Submit the form and read any extension, MIME, size, or permission message before retrying.
- Open the resulting file page and test the file from a normal reader account, not only from an administrator session.
Images, resizing, and thumbnails
Storing an image and generating a thumbnail are different operations. On-the-fly resizing and thumbnail creation require a working ImageMagick installation when that conversion path is configured. Install and configure ImageMagick, ensure the web-server process can execute the configured conversion command, and test a representative image. A successful upload with a broken thumbnail points to the conversion path rather than the upload directory.
8. Security controls that should remain in place
- Block script execution: uploaded content must not be able to execute server-side scripts or otherwise access the web directory as code.
- Keep MIME verification: extension names alone are not a trustworthy description of file content.
- Keep prohibited extensions and strict checks: weakening them on a public wiki can turn the upload feature into a code-execution risk.
- Protect the directory: preserve the supplied
.htaccessprotections or implement equivalent rules on another web server. - Limit rights: grant
uploadand, separately,reuploadonly to groups that need them. - Review exposure: restrict directory listings and monitor storage growth, especially when anonymous visitors can view uploaded files.
MediaWiki’s warning is practical: a user who can upload and execute a script may be able to exploit access to the web directory and damage the wiki or the wider site. Treat the upload directory as untrusted content even when all current users are trusted.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.9. Troubleshoot the specific failure
Special:Upload is missing or says uploads are disabled
- Confirm that
$wgEnableUploads = true;is present in the activeLocalSettings.php, with valid PHP syntax. - Confirm that the request is reaching the wiki you edited; multiple installations or virtual hosts can use different configuration files.
- Check the user’s
uploadright and group membership. - If the setting was just changed and the interface still looks unchanged, clear browser and applicable cache layers, then reload the page.
Permission denied or failed write
Verify the configured $wgUploadDirectory, the directory’s ownership and mode, and PHP’s temporary directory. The web-server account needs to write the temporary upload and the final destination. Check SELinux, AppArmor, ACLs, container mounts, and read-only filesystem flags when ordinary permissions appear correct.
“File type not allowed”
Check the extension in $wgFileExtensions, the prohibited-extension list, MIME detection, and the user’s upload right. Do not add a broad wildcard or disable strict checks merely to accept one file. Test a known-good file of the intended format and inspect whether the failing file is mislabeled or malformed.
“File is corrupt” or “incorrect extension”
These messages usually indicate a mismatch between the filename and the detected content, or a MIME-detection problem. Confirm the file opens as the claimed format, verify the server’s MIME database and PHP behavior, and retry with an independently generated sample. Renaming the file does not repair invalid content.
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“File is too large”
Compare, in order, PHP’s upload_max_filesize, PHP’s post_max_size, MediaWiki’s $wgMaxUploadSize, and every nginx, Apache, IIS, proxy, or hosting request-size limit. The first smaller value wins. Remember that post_max_size covers the entire request, not just the file.
Upload succeeds but thumbnails fail
Check ImageMagick installation, the configured conversion command, executable permissions, and the web-server account’s ability to run it and write generated thumbnails. Review the web server and MediaWiki logs for the exact command or permission error.
10. Decide between local uploads and a shared repository
Not every wiki needs to store every file locally. When comparing local uploads with InstantCommons, evaluate the following:
| Decision axis | Local uploads | InstantCommons |
|---|---|---|
| Who controls the files | Your wiki’s administrators and contributors control the local files and permissions. | Files are provided from Wikimedia Commons under its policies and licensing framework. |
| Storage | Your server stores the uploaded files and generated derivatives. | Freely licensed Commons files can be used without storing each file locally. |
| Policy and licensing | You must define acceptable formats, copyright handling, retention, and moderation. | You must follow Commons availability and licensing conditions and account for the fact that availability can change. |
| Security responsibility | You are responsible for directory protection, permissions, limits, and backups. | You reduce local storage responsibility but still need to configure and govern how remote files are used. |
| Workflow | Suitable when contributors need to add files unique to your wiki. | Suitable when the needed media already exists as freely licensed material in the shared repository. |
Choose local storage for files that belong to your project or must remain under its retention policy. Choose a shared repository when reuse of eligible Commons media is the goal and local copies are unnecessary.
11. Batch-upload options
For many files, the standard single-file form may be too slow. The official MediaWiki upload documentation lists UploadWizard, MsUpload, and SimpleBatchUpload as extension options. Each has its own MediaWiki version requirements and configuration behavior, so verify compatibility against the version installed on your wiki before enabling one.
Batch tools do not remove the underlying safeguards. They still need a writable, non-executable upload directory, valid PHP and web-server size limits, extension and MIME checks, and appropriate user rights. Pilot a small set of files first and confirm that descriptions, licensing information, thumbnails, and failure reporting meet your editorial workflow.
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12. Production checklist
-
file_uploads = Onis active in the PHP configuration serving the wiki. -
open_basedir, if enabled, includes both the MediaWiki upload directory and PHP’s temporary directory. - The configured
images(or alternate) directory is writable by the web-server process and uses non-executable file handling. - Supplied
.htaccessrules or equivalent nginx/IIS protections are present. -
$wgEnableUploads = true;is in the activeLocalSettings.php. - The intended groups have
upload;reuploadis granted separately where needed. - Required extensions are explicitly listed, while prohibited extensions and MIME verification remain enabled.
- PHP, MediaWiki, proxy, and web-server limits have been compared, with the smallest limit understood.
- A normal upload, an oversized upload, a rejected extension, and an image thumbnail have each been tested with appropriate accounts.
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