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This is an information page.
It is not one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines; rather, its purpose is to explain certain aspects of Wikipedia's norms, customs, technicalities, or practices. It may reflect differing levels of consensus and vetting. |
 | This page in a nutshell: Freely licensed files should be moved to the Wikimedia Commons so all Wikimedia Foundation projects can use them. |
Moving files to Commons is an activity of moving freely licensed files from Wikipedia to the Wikimedia Commons, which serves as the central file repository for all Wikimedia Foundation projects. When our local files are transferred there, they will provide the added benefit of becoming instantly and globally available across all Wikimedia Foundation projects.
| | For specific questions regarding the eligibility of any file, please use Wikipedia:Media copyright questions. |
| Donot Transfer | Because | Action to Take? |
|---|---|---|
 N Non-free content
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Commons does not accept non-free content. | |
| N Derivativesofnon-free content
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Commons does not accept non-free content. | |
| N Photographs of 2D/3D works taken in countries where there is no freedom of panorama.
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Commons does not accept non-free content. | |
| N Non-Public domain works exceeding the threshold of originality in their home country.
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Commons does not accept non-free content. | |
| N Files lacking a clear and verifiable source.
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Files must be clearly sourced so that their copyright status may be verified by anybody. | Tag these with {{subst:Nsd}}
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| N Files lacking adequate evidence of permission.
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Files created by a third party and uploaded to Wikipedia under a free license must include a permission statement (e.g. link to online permission statement, VRT permission) so that it can be verified that said party has actually agreed to such publication. | Tag these with {{subst:Npd}}
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| N Files withoutalicense tag.
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License tags describe the copyright status of a file. | Tag these with {{subst:Nld}}
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| N Files with a free license restricting derivatives/commercial use, or restricting usage to Wikipedia only.
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Freely licensed files uploaded to Wikipedia and Commons must allow derivatives/commercial use, and usage outside Wikipedia. | Tag these with {{Db-f3}}
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| N Files with dubious Own work claims. (e.g. Claiming an image of Pikachu as own work)
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These are probably copyright violations. | List at FfD and/or tag egregious cases with {{Db-f9}}
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| N Files which are Public domain in their country of origin, but still copyrighted in the USA.
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Commons requires that files be free in both their country of origin and the USA. Note that the English Wikipedia does not have such a restriction for uploaded PD files. | |
| N Files which are Public domain in the USA but still copyrighted in their country of origin.
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Commons requires that files be free in both their country of origin and the USA. |
There are several software tools available to assist in moving files from the various Wikipedias into commons. Tools that are "web apps" can be run without first being downloaded to your computer.
FileImporter, from our own Wikimedia, is the default and preferred tool.
| Name | Status | Create wikitext | Can upload | Import history | OAuth | Platform | Coded in | Where to get | Author or maintainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FileImporter | Active | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Web app | PHP | The "Export to Wikimedia Commons" tab on the file description page | Wikimedia Deutschland |
| Fileinfo | Active | Yes | No | No | — | Web app | PHP | toollabs:magog/fileinfo.php | Magog the Ogre (talk · contribs) |
| mtc-cli | Active | Yes | Yes | No | No | CPython (Windows, macOS, Linux) | Python | fastily/mtc-cli | Fastily (talk · contribs) |
| For the Common Good | Unclear | Yes | Yes | No | No | .NET Framework 2.0orMono (Windows, macOS, Linux) | C# | atlight |
This, that and the other (talk · contribs) |
| CommonsHelper | Abandoned | Poorly | Yes | No | Yes | Web app | PHP | toollabs:commonshelper | Magnus Manske (talk · contribs) |
| imagecopy.py | Abandoned | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | CPython (Windows, macOS, Linux) | Python | Phabricator | Multichill (talk · contribs) |
| MTC! | Abandoned | Yes | Yes | No | No | Java SE (Windows, macOS, Linux) | Java | WP:MTC! | Fastily (talk · contribs) |
Only FileImporter can preserve the full page history. MTC! has some additional automation features and admin-only options.
Save the file to transfer onto your computer and upload it at Commons. Include the following information on the file's Commons description page:
{{Information}} template — 
Note: Fileinfo generates the upload information text to transfer manually. Note: some templates used locally exist with another name on Commons. For example, {{PD-old}}is{{PD-old-100}} on Commons, and {{PD-old}} on Commons is {{PD-old-70}} on Wikipedia.
Once you are finished, please tag Wikipedia's copy of the file with {{subst:Ncd}}or{{subst:Ncd|File:New filename.png}} (if you chose a new name for the Commons file).
Backlog: Copy to Wikimedia Commons |
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Get personal technical help at the Teahouse, help desk, village pump (technical), talk pagesorIRC. | |
| General technical help |
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| Special page-related |
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| Wikitext |
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| Links and diffs |
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| Media files: images, videos and sounds |
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| Other graphics |
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| Templates and Lua modules |
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| Data structure |
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| HTML and CSS |
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| Customisation and tools |
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| Automated editing |
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