File Upload Forms

The Upload Form Template

The form tag needs method=post and enctype='multipart/form-data' for file uploads to work; a plain form without enctype will submit the filename as text only, not the file itself.

Example: The Upload Form Template

The form tag needs method=post and enctype='multipart/form-data' for file uploads to work; a plain form without enctype will submit the filename as text only, not the file itself.

<form method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data">
    {% csrf_token %}
    <label for="id_avatar">Avatar</label>
    <input type="file" id="id_avatar" name="avatar">
    <button type="submit">Upload</button>
</form>

Handling the Upload in a View

Uploaded file data arrives in request.FILES, separate from regular form fields in request.POST. Both must be passed into a ModelForm bound to the request.

Example: Handling the Upload in a View

Uploaded file data arrives in request.FILES, separate from regular form fields in request.POST. Both must be passed into a ModelForm bound to the request.

from django.shortcuts import render, redirect
from .forms import ProfileForm

def upload_avatar(request):
    if request.method == 'POST':
        form = ProfileForm(request.POST, request.FILES)
        if form.is_valid():
            form.save()
            return redirect('profile')
    else:
        form = ProfileForm()
    return render(request, 'upload.html', {'form': form})

Validating Uploaded Files

A form using a FileField or ImageField automatically validates the upload through the field itself — calling form.is_valid() rejects missing or invalid files before form.save() ever runs.

Note: Add custom size/type checks inside a clean_<field> method on the form for stricter validation.

Example: Validating Uploaded Files

A form using a FileField or ImageField automatically validates the upload through the field itself — calling form.is_valid() rejects missing or invalid files before form.save() ever runs.

from django import forms
from .models import Profile

class ProfileForm(forms.ModelForm):
    class Meta:
        model = Profile
        fields = ['name', 'avatar']

form = ProfileForm(data, files)
if form.is_valid():
    form.save()
else:
    print(form.errors)