Sharepoint 2007: Upload a File - Upload a File from the Web Interface

Uploading a file to SharePoint is an easy process, but there are three ways to do so. If you are writing a document in a Microsoft Office application, an easy way is to upload the document straight from the application itself by saving it directly into SharePoint.

However, if the file you want to upload is not an Office file, or if you prefer to upload the file without opening it in an Office application, you can upload the file using the web interface with your Internet browser.

The third option, which is a bit more advanced, enables you to upload the file to a library as if that library was a folder on your computer. This method is known as web folders and requires some components to be installed on your machine, but when they are installed, it is easy and efficient to use.

Upload a File from the Web Interface

Using your web browser, browse to the library to which you want to upload the file, and go to the folder where you want to put the file. If you have the required permissions to add files to the folder, you see the Upload button on the menu bar (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Using the Upload button on the menu bar.

The Upload button can be used as a regular button (just click the button) or as a drop-down menu to show more options for uploading, namely the option to upload multiple files. This option, available only for users of Microsoft Internet Explorer, navigates you to a different page, which is explained at the end of this section.

Clicking the Upload button opens the upload file page, where you can pick a single file by using the Browse button.

If you are using a compatible browser and have the required components, you also have an option in this window to upload multiple files using the Upload Multiple Files link (see Figure 2). This link redirects you to the same page you would have opened if you had clicked Upload Multiple Documents from the Upload drop-down menu.

Figure 2. The File Upload page, with the Multiple Documents link that enables you to upload many files at once if you have the right Microsoft Office components installed on your machine.

If you selected a single file, click OK to commit the upload. This process can take a while depending on the speed of the network, size of the file, and load on the server.

When the upload is done, you might be prompted for metadata (properties) for the file and see a Check In button, but that depends on the setup of the document library (see Figure 3).

Figure 3. After the file is uploaded, you might be prompted for more information about the file.

Additionally, if the library supports multiple content types for files, you might have to select in this screen what content type this file belongs to, and that may change the metadata that you are asked for, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Metadata entry screen when the Presentation content type is selected.

If you selected to upload multiple files, you are presented with a page displaying documents on your computer, allowing you to select a folder on the left and then one or more files on the right using the check boxes (see Figure 5).

Figure 5. Selecting multiple documents to upload.

After selecting the files you want to upload, click OK. You see a prompt asking whether you are sure you want to upload all the files. Click Yes if the number of documents in the prompt matches the number of files you intended to select.

Now you see an Upload Progress screen (see Figure 6). The speed of the upload depends on many variables, such as network speed and load on the server, so this screen might be gone very fast—so fast that you might not even see it.

Figure 6. The Upload Progress screen shows your files being uploaded.

Using this method, you are not asked for metadata for the files, and they are all uploaded but not checked into the document library. You still need to check in each file that you uploaded and set the metadata for each one separately. Of course, if check-in is not required on the document library in question, you don’t need to check in the files, but setting the metadata (like the titles for the files) might be a good idea.