---
title: "Media upload and management in the TYPO3 backend"
manual: "Tutorial for Editors"
version: "main"
permalink: "https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3editors:media-module@main"
source: "MediaModule/Index.rst"
rendered: "2026-09-28T11:00:36+00:00"
---

# Media upload and management in the TYPO3 backend {#media-module}

<!-- TODO: no Markdown rendering for "versionchanged" -->

This module has been renamed from Filelist to Media
see Feature: #107628 - Improved backend module naming and structure.

The **Media** module is where you can manage
all the media associated with your TYPO3 web site.

## Managing media in the TYPO3 CMS {#managing-files-in-typo}

Files including documents and images are managed in the
**Media** module. Similar to the **Content > Record**
module, it displays a navigation tree, which corresponds to the file
structure on the server, and a list of all files for the
selected directory.

![View to the Media Module listing three image files as tiles](../Images/ManualScreenshots/MediaModule/TileView.png)

![View to the Media Module listing three image files as list, the view selector is open showing the activated list view option as well as the deselected clipboard option. Accordingly, the image does not contain a clipboard.](../Images/ManualScreenshots/MediaModule/ListView.png)

For admin users, the folder displayed by default is called
"fileadmin/ (auto-generated)" and corresponds to the
`fileadmin/` folder located under the document root
folder on your web server.

Using these files inside content elements to display them
or link to them in your web site is covered in the
[images chapter](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3editors:images@main).

> [!NOTE]
> There are extensions which make it possible to connect to remote
> storage pools (like a WebDAV server or an Amazon S3 account) and work
> with the files as if they were on the TYPO3 CMS server.

### File metadata {#file-metadata}

You can provide metadata for the file by clicking on the button that looka like
a pencil with the title text **Edit Metadata of this file**.

The metadata you provide can include (depending on the setup of the system
and the format of the file):

-   Text to be displayed to all users in some contexts (**Title**,
    **Description**)
-   Text for [accessibility](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3editors:accessibility@main) such as the **alternative text**
    for an image or a **download name**
-   Data required due to copyright issues
-   Metadata attached to the uploaded file such as information about the
    camera used or the location

### Clipboard {#media-module-clipboard}

There is a clipboard just like in the **Content > Record** module.

![The standard TYPO3 Clipboard, activated Clipboard #1 with one of the images selected.](../Images/ManualScreenshots/MediaModule/Clipboard.png)

The handling is the same as the description used in the [Advanced clipboard usage](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3editors:advanced-clipboard-usage@main).

### Creating new folders {#creating-folders}

To create folders within the file storage, the button **Create Folder** opens a module dialog
with the familiar separation of tree and working frame. Left hand all available storages and folders
are displayed in tree structure. The folder selected here will act as the parent for the folders
to be created.
Folders are to be created one by one, the modal will remain open after operation to ease multiple
additions. Each new entry appears immediately in the folder tree and can be used as parent.

![A section of TYPO3 Media Module open and overlayed with the module dialog for creating new folders. The overlay displays the folder tree, one of the folders there is selected as the parent for the new folder. Right frame displays the input form field for the name of the new folder.](../Images/ManualScreenshots/MediaModule/CreateFolder.avif)

### Uploading new files {#uploading-files}

You can upload files to a given folder by using the context menu
or to the current directory by using the action icon in the docheader. Also, drag & drop
will initiate the upload. Just drag any file into the main view to upload it to the
current folder, or select the `click, browse and choose files` option.

![A section of TYPO3 Media Module open with a folder selected and upload initiated. The upload overlay offers an option to open a file dialog for selecting files from the local computer. Highlighted is the button to open the upload view and the close button to cancel the upload action.](../Images/ManualScreenshots/MediaModule/FileUpload.png)

### Moving files and folders with drag and drop {#moving-files-drag-and-drop}

To move one or more files or folders to a different location, select them in
the working area and drag them onto the target folder in the navigation tree.
Releasing the mouse button over the target folder moves the selected items
there.

This is a quick alternative to using the [clipboard](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3editors:advanced-clipboard-usage@main),
which remains useful when moving items across several steps or sessions.

![A section of TYPO3 Media Module with one file selected in the working area and being dragged towards a folder in the navigation tree, which is highlighted as the drop target.](../Images/ManualScreenshots/MediaModule/DragDropMove.avif)

## Next steps {#media-module-next-steps}

The next chapters cover configuration and administration tasks that
require special access privileges as described in [Access control in the
backend (users and groups)](https://docs.typo3.org/m/typo3/reference-coreapi/main/en-us/ApiOverview/Backend/AccessControl/Index.html#access).