Websites that utilize file upload functionality usually display a message on their web pages: “Select or drag-and-drop files to upload.”
However, this varies depending on what the website needs from the user. Sometimes, a user may be asked to upload documents, media, etc.
File upload forms allow site visitors to select files from their computers and upload them to your website.
How Does a File Upload Form Work?
Since a file upload form is part of the website, we need a basic understanding of how websites and their pages work to know how it is displayed and programmed.
A website consists of two interacting components: frontend and backend.
Displaying the File Upload Form
The frontend is responsible for displaying what you see in your web browser when you visit a website. Frontends are created using various web technologies.
HTML is used to specify which elements appear on the web page. Example elements include links, images, and, you guessed it: file upload forms.
You may also opt to use a free file upload form that’s ready to use, such as the one we offer here at POWR.
Making the File Upload Form Work
All things working under the hood to keep your website up and running are known as the backend.
Like the frontend, many web technologies can be used to program the backend. One of the backend's responsibilities is storing files uploaded by your website visitors via your file upload form.
Building a File Upload Form
Now that you know what we need to build a file upload form, you can create a web page using an HTML file that displays a basic form.
This can be used when building your own website or editing a form in a low-code platform like Wix.
This can be used when building a website or editing a form in a low-code platform like Wix.
In this example code, we want the user to upload a picture of his or her dog along with the dog's name:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<form action="https://examplesite.com/upload_handler.php" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data">
<input type="text" name="dogName"/><br/>
<input type="file" name="dogPicture"/><br/>
<button type="submit">Upload</button>
</form>
</body>
</html>
Paste this code into a text editor and save the file with .html as the file extension.
Don’t forget to remove the numbers at the start of each line since they aren’t part of the code. You may now open the HTML file in your web browser.
And that’s it. You have successfully created a file upload form with two fields: an input field that allows the user to type the dog’s name and another area that will enable you to upload the dog’s picture.
Note that this does not fully work yet! Remember the backend? That’s where it goes and gets processed.
Notice the part of the code on line 4 that says https://examplesite.com/upload_handler.php. This example web page, a destination URL, is part of the backend that receives the submitted form.
Learn how to create a file upload page after completing your file upload form.
Setting Up the Backend
There are two ways to set up the backend once the frontend is complete.
The first one is to go the traditional way: program the destination URL to accept the files and upload them to your web server. Alternatively, you may use an external service to handle the backend for you and host your files elsewhere.
Creating Your Implementation
Your first choice is much more complex than your second. It requires knowledge of working with web servers or hosting services and coding in programming languages such as PHP or Python, depending on your website's backend platform.
If you cannot work on it yourself, you must ask your IT team to implement this functionality.
Using a Third-Party Service
The second choice is more manageable and will only require you to make a few minor changes to the code above.
You need a third-party file-hosting service that supports form uploads, such as POWR, which provides instructions for getting started. These services offer different plans to suit your budget and needs.
Additionally, it could be better for those who use a website-building platform, as the process requires only minimal changes. These platforms usually allow users to modify and add to existing frontend code.
As a basic example, you can use the code above, lines 4-8, to display a file upload form.
On the other hand, website-building platforms typically do not allow website owners to modify backend code, so the first choice is recommended for those using a complete web hosting service.
You can also read how to create and integrate a file upload widget for your website that’s more feature-rich than traditional file upload forms.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to create your file upload form either through a third-party file hosting service or through encoding through HTML, it’s also good to ask for technical advice before implementing these changes on your website to ensure that your implementation is secure and seamlessly functioning.
