View source for Help:Images and other uploaded files

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To add an image, the image file has to be [[Special:upload|uploaded]]. Also other files can be uploaded, see below. The system uses the term "image" for any uploaded file. Uploading images on [[Commons:|Wikimedia Commons]] allows embedding them in all Wikimedia Projects, as an exception to the general rule that files can only be embedded in pages of the project in which they are uploaded.

First give the file a suitable name, because renaming during or after uploading is not possible. Make sure that the file name has the proper extension.
On uploading, a destination filename can be specified, so the file name on the project need not be the same as the name under which it is stored locally.
With the file an [[Help:Image page|image page]] (also called "image description page") will be associated, with a [[Help:Page name|page name]] consisting of the file name (including extension), prefixed with "Image:" (or in general the value of variable <nowiki>{{ns:Image}}</nowiki>). Thus the file names are case-sensitive (this applies even for the file name extension) except, in most projects, for the first character.

Although on each project files can be uploaded, a family of projects may have designated one in particular for this, with sharing of those files enabled. For Wikimedia projects this is [[commons:|Wikicommons]] (free content only, no "fair use" content), in general this is referred to below as Commons. (Note that projects can be a "family" in this regard, but not with regard to a common log-in and common preference settings, this applies to Wikimedia projects, and conversely, this applies for Wikicities.)

To upload a file, go to Commons, [[commons:Special:Userlogin|log in there]], and upload the file using the upload link [[commons:Special:Upload]].