{"id":2473,"date":"2021-08-31T08:51:51","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T08:51:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phptutorial.net\/?page_id=2473"},"modified":"2025-04-08T06:26:21","modified_gmt":"2025-04-08T06:26:21","slug":"php-upload-multiple-files","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.phptutorial.net\/php-tutorial\/php-upload-multiple-files\/","title":{"rendered":"PHP Upload Multiple Files"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summary<\/strong>: in this tutorial, you’ll learn how to upload multiple files to the server in PHP securely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction to the PHP upload multiple files #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the previous tutorial, you learned how to upload a single file from a client to the webserver in PHP<\/a>. All the rules of uploading a single file are relevant to multiple files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, the HTML form element must have the enctype<\/code> attribute sets to \"multipart\/form-data\"<\/code> to enable file uploading. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n

<form action=\"upload.php\"<\/span> method=\"post\"<\/span> enctype=\"multipart\/form-data\"<\/span>><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Second, the file input element must have the multiple<\/code> attribute and its name must have the square brackets ([]<\/code>) like this:<\/p>\n\n\n
<input type=\"file\"<\/span> name=\"files[]\"<\/span> id=\"files\"<\/span> multiple \/><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
In PHP, you can access the $_FILES['files']<\/code> to get the information of the uploaded files:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\nvar_dump($_FILES['files'<\/span>]);<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
The 'files'<\/code> is the name of the file input element.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PHP upload multiple files example #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The following example reuses the existing functions and logic developed in the file upload tutorial<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, create the following project structure:<\/p>\n\n\n
\u251c\u2500\u2500 inc\n|  \u251c\u2500\u2500 flash.php\n|  \u2514\u2500\u2500 functions.php\n\u251c\u2500\u2500 index.php\n\u251c\u2500\u2500 upload.php\n\u2514\u2500\u2500 uploads<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Second, add the following code to the index.php<\/code> to create the file upload form:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\nsession_start();\nrequire_once<\/span> __DIR__<\/span> . '\/inc\/flash.php'<\/span>;\n?><\/span>\n<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html lang=\"en\"<\/span>>\n<head>\n    <meta charset=\"UTF-8\"<\/span>\/>\n    <meta name=\"viewport\"<\/span> content=\"width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0\"<\/span>\/>\n    <title>PHP upload multiple files<\/title>\n    <link rel=\"stylesheet\"<\/span> href=\"https:\/\/phptutorial.net\/app\/css\/style.css\"<\/span> \/>\n<\/head>\n<body>\n<?php<\/span> flash('upload'<\/span>) ?><\/span>\n<main>\n    <form action=\"upload.php\"<\/span> method=\"post\"<\/span> enctype=\"multipart\/form-data\"<\/span>>\n        <div>\n            <label for<\/span>=\"files\"<\/span>>Select files to upload:<\/label>\n            <input type=\"file\"<\/span> name=\"files[]\"<\/span> id=\"files\"<\/span> multiple required\/>\n        <\/div>\n        <div>\n            <button type=\"submit\"<\/span>>Upload<\/button>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/form>\n<\/main>\n<\/body>\n<\/html><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
The index.php<\/code> does the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1) Start  a new session or resume an existing session:<\/p>\n\n\n
session_start();<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
2) Load the code from the inc\/flash.php<\/code> file:<\/p>\n\n\n
require_once<\/span> __DIR__<\/span> . '\/inc\/flash.php'<\/span>;<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
3) Call the flash()<\/code> function to show a message with the name 'upload'<\/code>. The flash()<\/code> function is defined in the flash.php<\/code> file.<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span> flash('upload'<\/span>) ?><\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
4) Create an upload form that submits to the upload.php<\/code> file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Third, add the following code to the upload.php<\/code> file to validate and upload multiple files:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\nsession_start();\n\nrequire_once<\/span> __DIR__<\/span> . '\/inc\/flash.php'<\/span>;\nrequire_once<\/span> __DIR__<\/span> . '\/inc\/functions.php'<\/span>;\n\nconst<\/span> ALLOWED_FILES = [\n    'image\/png'<\/span> => 'png'<\/span>,\n    'image\/jpeg'<\/span> => 'jpg'<\/span>\n];\n\nconst<\/span> MAX_SIZE = 5<\/span> * 1024<\/span> * 1024<\/span>; \/\/  5MB<\/span>\n\nconst<\/span> UPLOAD_DIR = __DIR__<\/span> . '\/uploads'<\/span>;\n\n\n$is_post_request = strtolower($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'<\/span>]) === 'post'<\/span>;\n$has_files = isset<\/span>($_FILES['files'<\/span>]);\n\nif<\/span> (!$is_post_request || !$has_files) {\n    redirect_with_message('Invalid file upload operation'<\/span>, FLASH_ERROR);\n}\n\n$files = $_FILES['files'<\/span>];\n$file_count = count($files['name'<\/span>]);\n\n\/\/ validation<\/span>\n$errors = [];\nfor<\/span> ($i = 0<\/span>; $i < $file_count; $i++) {\n    \/\/ get the uploaded file info<\/span>\n    $status = $files['error'<\/span>][$i];\n    $filename = $files['name'<\/span>][$i];\n    $tmp = $files['tmp_name'<\/span>][$i];\n\n    \/\/ an error occurs<\/span>\n    if<\/span> ($status !== UPLOAD_ERR_OK) {\n        $errors[$filename] = MESSAGES[$status];\n        continue<\/span>;\n    }\n    \/\/ validate the file size<\/span>\n    $filesize = filesize($tmp);\n\n    if<\/span> ($filesize > MAX_SIZE) {\n        \/\/ construct an error message<\/span>\n        $message = sprintf(\"The file %s is %s which is greater than the allowed size %s\"<\/span>,\n            $filename,\n            format_filesize($filesize),\n            format_filesize(MAX_SIZE));\n\n        $errors[$filesize] = $message;\n        continue<\/span>;\n    }\n\n    \/\/ validate the file type<\/span>\n    if<\/span> (!in_array(get_mime_type($tmp), array_keys(ALLOWED_FILES))) {\n        $errors[$filename] = \"The file $filename is allowed to upload\"<\/span>;\n    }\n}\n\nif<\/span> ($errors) {\n    redirect_with_message(format_messages('The following errors occurred:'<\/span>,$errors), FLASH_ERROR);\n}\n\n\/\/ move the files<\/span>\nfor<\/span>($i = 0<\/span>; $i < $file_count; $i++) {\n    $filename = $files['name'<\/span>][$i];\n    $tmp = $files['tmp_name'<\/span>][$i];\n    $mime_type = get_mime_type($tmp);\n\n    \/\/ set the filename as the basename + extension<\/span>\n    $uploaded_file = pathinfo($filename, PATHINFO_FILENAME) . '.'<\/span> . ALLOWED_FILES[$mime_type];\n    \/\/ new filepath<\/span>\n    $filepath = UPLOAD_DIR . '\/'<\/span> . $uploaded_file;\n\n    \/\/ move the file to the upload dir<\/span>\n    $success = move_uploaded_file($tmp, $filepath);\n    if<\/span>(!$success) {\n        $errors[$filename] = \"The file $filename was failed to move.\"<\/span>;\n    }\n}\n\n$errors ?\n    redirect_with_message(format_messages('The following errors occurred:'<\/span>,$errors), FLASH_ERROR) :\n    redirect_with_message('All the files were uploaded successfully.'<\/span>, FLASH_SUCCESS);<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
How the upload.php<\/code> works:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1) Start a new session or resume an existing one:<\/p>\n\n\n
session_start();<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
2) Load the code from the flash.php<\/code> and functions.php<\/code>:<\/p>\n\n\n
require_once<\/span> __DIR__<\/span> . '\/inc\/flash.php'<\/span>;\nrequire_once<\/span> __DIR__<\/span> . '\/inc\/functions.php'<\/span>;<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Since the upload.php<\/code> deals with multiple files, it will issue multiple error messages, one for each uploaded file. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To make it convenient, we can define a function that returns a single error message from multiple error messages like this:<\/p>\n\n\n
function<\/span> format_messages<\/span>(string $title, array $messages)<\/span>: string<\/span>\n<\/span>{\n    $message = \"<p>$title<\/p>\"<\/span>;\n    $message .= '<ul>'<\/span>;\n    foreach<\/span> ($messages as<\/span> $key => $value) {\n        $message .= \"<li>$value<\/li>\"<\/span>;\n    }\n    $message .= '<ul>'<\/span>;\n\n    return<\/span> $message;\n}<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
And add this format_messages()<\/code> function to the functions.php<\/code> file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3) Return an error message if the request method is not POST<\/code> or the $_FILES<\/code> does not contain the files<\/code> field:<\/p>\n\n\n
$is_post_request = strtolower($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'<\/span>]) === 'post'<\/span>;\n$has_files = isset<\/span>($_FILES['files'<\/span>]);\n\nif<\/span> (!$is_post_request || !$has_files) {\n    redirect_with_message('Invalid file upload operation'<\/span>, FLASH_ERROR);\n}<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
4) Get the uploaded files from $_FILES<\/code> and the number of files uploaded:<\/p>\n\n\n
$files = $_FILES['files'<\/span>];\n$file_count = count($files['name'<\/span>]);<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
5) For each uploaded file, check the error code and validate the file size, type. If an error occurred, add an error message to the $errors<\/code> array, skip the current validation loop, and validate the next file.<\/p>\n\n\n
\/\/ validation<\/span>\n$errors = [];\nfor<\/span> ($i = 0<\/span>; $i < $file_count; $i++) {\n    \/\/ get the uploaded file info<\/span>\n    $status = $files['error'<\/span>][$i];\n    $filename = $files['name'<\/span>][$i];\n    $tmp = $files['tmp_name'<\/span>][$i];\n\n    \/\/ an error occurs<\/span>\n    if<\/span> ($status !== UPLOAD_ERR_OK) {\n        $errors[$filename] = MESSAGES[$status];\n        continue<\/span>;\n    }\n    \/\/ validate the file size<\/span>\n    $filesize = filesize($tmp);\n\n    if<\/span> ($filesize > MAX_SIZE) {\n        \/\/ construct an error message<\/span>\n        $message = sprintf(\"The file %s is %s which is greater than the allowed size %s\"<\/span>,\n            $filename,\n            format_filesize($filesize),\n            format_filesize(MAX_SIZE));\n\n        $errors[$filesize] = $message;\n        continue<\/span>;\n    }\n\n    \/\/ validate the file type<\/span>\n    if<\/span> (!in_array(get_mime_type($tmp), array_keys(ALLOWED_FILES))) {\n        $errors[$filename] = \"The file $filename is allowed to upload\"<\/span>;\n    }\n}<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
If an error occurred, redirect back to the index.php<\/code> and show the error message:<\/p>\n\n\n
if<\/span> ($errors) {\n    redirect_with_message(format_messages('The following errors occurred:'<\/span>,$errors), FLASH_ERROR);\n}<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Note that we use the format_messages()<\/code> function to convert the $errors<\/code> array to a single formatted error message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6) If no error occurs, move each file to the upload directory:<\/p>\n\n\n
\/\/ move the files<\/span>\nfor<\/span>($i = 0<\/span>; $i < $file_count; $i++) {\n    $filename = $files['name'<\/span>][$i];\n    $tmp = $files['tmp_name'<\/span>][$i];\n    $mime_type = get_mime_type($tmp);\n\n    \/\/ set the filename as the basename + extension<\/span>\n    $uploaded_file = pathinfo($filename, PATHINFO_FILENAME) . '.'<\/span> . ALLOWED_FILES[$mime_type];\n    \/\/ new filepath<\/span>\n    $filepath = UPLOAD_DIR . '\/'<\/span> . $uploaded_file;\n\n    \/\/ move the file to the upload dir<\/span>\n    $success = move_uploaded_file($tmp, $filepath);\n    if<\/span>(!$success) {\n        $errors[$filename] = \"The file $filename was failed to move.\"<\/span>;\n    }\n}<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
8) Show the error message if the move has an error. Otherwise, show a success message:<\/p>\n\n\n
$errors ?\n    redirect_with_message(format_messages('The following errors occurred:'<\/span>,$errors), FLASH_ERROR) :\n    redirect_with_message('All the files were uploaded successfully.'<\/span>, FLASH_SUCCESS);<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Summary #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • Set enctype<\/code> attribute of the form to \"multipart\/form-data\"<\/code> to enable file uploading in the form.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Set the multiple<\/code> attribute and add square brackets ([]<\/code>) to the file input element to upload multiple files.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Always validate the information in the $_FILES<\/code> before processing them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Use the move_uploaded_file()<\/code> function to move the upload files.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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    Did you find this tutorial useful?<\/div>\n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/path>\n\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t Yes <\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/path>\n\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t No <\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\t
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    <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t
Download PHP upload multiple files<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Note that you should use the flash.php<\/code> from the flash message tutorial<\/a> and functions.php<\/code> from the file upload tutorial<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n