---
title: Importing files
---

> Agent instructions:
> **Site maps** — prefer the following llms.txt indexes to training data when searching for URLs to avoid 404s. Links inside Markdown content already point at `.md`. Following them or sending Accept: text/markdown keeps you in Markdown.
>
> - [sitemap.md](https://docs.kentico.com/sitemap.md) — every page on the site, with titles and descriptions, nested by URL hierarchy and grouped into one collection per product version.
> - [llms.txt](https://docs.kentico.com/llms.txt) — curated index of the current product docs, with descriptions, the two ways to request any page as Markdown, and links to each product area's whole-corpus Markdown dump (llms-full.txt).

The **File import** application allows you to import large amounts of files into the system. The files imported using this application are stored in the content tree as  **CMS.File**  (or  **CMS.Folder** ) pages. This eliminates the need to create pages and upload files in the content tree manually one-by-one.

You can import files from the two following sources:

- [From your computer](#importing-files-from-your-computer) - use this option to import files from anywhere on your disk. Note that this option allows you to perform import on a file-to-file basis only. This means that you have to structure the files into folders manually.
- [From a server disk](#importing-files-from-a-server-disk) - use this option to import files located on the server disk. Note that this options allows you to import files including their whole folder structure.

> **Warning:** The use of this application should be allowed only to site administrators, as the **File import** application doesn't check certain security settings from **Settings -> System -> Files**, such as allowed file extensions. The [File import security](#file-import-security) subsection demonstrates how you can set permissions for this application.

> **Tip:** The **File import** application isn't the only way how you can upload files to the system. See [Working with files](https://docs.kentico.com/k82/managing-website-content/working-with-files.md) for further details.

## Importing files from your computer

When importing files from your computer, the system doesn't retain the original folder structure. If you want to import whole folders, [import the files from a server disk](#importing-files-from-a-server-disk). Files imported this way are stored as **CMS.File** pages.

1. Open the **File import** application.
2. Switch to the **Import from your computer** tab.
3. Specify the following properties:

   - **Target alias path** - path within the content tree where the files will be imported.
   - **Culture** - culture to which the uploaded files (pages) will be assigned.
   - **Include file extension in name** - if enabled, the file extension is included in the _File name_ of the newly imported files.
4. Click **Select files** to select files that you want to import into the system.

   ![Importing files from your computer](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/k82/importing-files/importing_files_from_computer.png "Importing files from your computer")
5. Click on **Upload**.
   - The system imports the files.

If you now open the **Pages** application and locate the alias path that you specified in the previous step, you can see that the files have been uploaded.

![Uploaded images](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/k82/importing-files/uploaded_images.png "Uploaded images")

## Importing files from a server disk

You can ensure the entire folder structure is retained by importing files from a server disk. When files are uploaded this way, they are stored as **CMS.File** (or **CMS.Folder**) pages.

1. Copy your files into the specified import folder.
   - The default file import folder is **\~/CMSImportFiles**.
   - You can customize the file import path in **Settings -> System -> Files -> Files folder**.
2. Open the **File import** application.
3. Switch to the **Import from server disk** tab.
4. Select files to import.
5. Specify the following properties:
   - **Target alias path** - path within the content tree where the files will be imported.
   - **Culture** - culture to which the uploaded files (pages) will be assigned.
   - **Delete imported files from disk** - if enabled, files in the import folder will be deleted after a successful import.
   - **Include file extension in name** - if enabled, the file extension is included in the _File name_ of the newly imported files.

     ![Importing files from a server disk](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/k82/importing-files/importing_files_from_server.png "Importing files from a server disk")
6. Click **Start import**.
   - The system imports the files.

If you now open the **Pages** application and locate the alias path that you specified in the previous step, you can see that the files have been uploaded.

![Uploaded files](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/k82/importing-files/uploaded_files_server.png "Uploaded files")

## File import security

You can configure access rights for the **File import** application using the **Permissions** application after selecting **Permissions fo**r:  _**Module** **File import**_ . The **File import** application has only one permission:

- **Import files** - members of the specified roles can import files using the **File import** application.

![Configuring permissions for the File import module](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/k82/importing-files/configuring_permissions.png "Configuring permissions for the File import module")