521
votes

I need to upload only image file through <input type="file"> tag.

Right now, it accepts all file types. But, I want to restrict it to only specific image file extensions which include .jpg, .gif etc.

How can I achieve this functionality?

12
What's the technology used server-side?Erdal G.
kbvishnu, perhaps you could reconsider the answer you accepted so long ago. You don't have to accept another answer. I'm just suggesting, based on the number of flags we've been getting on the answer and its level of votes compared with other answers, that maybe you should at least consider unaccepting it.Aaron Hall♦

12 Answers

1265
votes

Use the accept attribute of the input tag. To accept only PNG's, JPEG's and GIF's you can use the following code:

<input type="file" name="myImage" accept="image/png, image/gif, image/jpeg" />

Or simply:

<input type="file" name="myImage" accept="image/*" />

Note that this only provides a hint to the browser as to what file-types to display to the user, but this can be easily circumvented, so you should always validate the uploaded file on the server also.

It should work in IE 10+, Chrome, Firefox, Safari 6+, Opera 15+, but support is very sketchy on mobiles (as of 2015) and by some reports, this may actually prevent some mobile browsers from uploading anything at all, so be sure to test your target platforms well.

For detailed browser support, see http://caniuse.com/#feat=input-file-accept

197
votes

Using this:

<input type="file" accept="image/*">

works in both FF and Chrome.

95
votes

Use it like this

<input type="file" accept=".png, .jpg, .jpeg" />

It worked for me

https://jsfiddle.net/ermagrawal/5u4ftp3k/

44
votes

Steps:
1. Add accept attribute to input tag
2. Validate with javascript
3. Add server side validation to verify if the content is really an expected file type

For HTML and javascript:

<html>
<body>
<input name="image" type="file" id="fileName" accept=".jpg,.jpeg,.png" onchange="validateFileType()"/>
<script type="text/javascript">
    function validateFileType(){
        var fileName = document.getElementById("fileName").value;
        var idxDot = fileName.lastIndexOf(".") + 1;
        var extFile = fileName.substr(idxDot, fileName.length).toLowerCase();
        if (extFile=="jpg" || extFile=="jpeg" || extFile=="png"){
            //TO DO
        }else{
            alert("Only jpg/jpeg and png files are allowed!");
        }   
    }
</script>
</body>
</html>

Explanation:

  1. The accept attribute filters the files that will be displayed in the file chooser popup. However, it is not a validation. It is only a hint to the browser. The user can still change the options in the popup.
  2. The javascript only validates for file extension, but cannot really verify if the select file is an actual jpg or png.
  3. So you have to write for file content validation on server side.
29
votes

This can be achieved by

<input type="file" accept="image/*" /> 

But this is not a good way. you have to code on the server side to check the file an image or not.

Check if image file is an actual image or fake image

if(isset($_POST["submit"])) {
    $check = getimagesize($_FILES["fileToUpload"]["tmp_name"]);
    if($check !== false) {
        echo "File is an image - " . $check["mime"] . ".";
        $uploadOk = 1;
    }
    else {
        echo "File is not an image.";
        $uploadOk = 0;
    }
}

For more reference, see here

http://www.w3schools.com/tags/att_input_accept.asp
http://www.w3schools.com/php/php_file_upload.asp

8
votes

Using type="file" and accept="image/*" (or the format you want), allow the user to chose a file with specific format. But you have to re check it again in client side, because the user can select other type of files. This works for me.

<input #imageInput accept="image/*" (change)="processFile(imageInput)" name="upload-photo" type="file" id="upload-photo" />

And then, in your javascript script

processFile(imageInput) {
    if (imageInput.files[0]) {
      const file: File = imageInput.files[0];
      var pattern = /image-*/;

      if (!file.type.match(pattern)) {
        alert('Invalid format');
        return;
      }

      // here you can do whatever you want with your image. Now you are sure that it is an image
    }
  }
5
votes

you can use accept attribute for <input type="file"> read this docs http://www.w3schools.com/tags/att_input_accept.asp

3
votes

In html;

<input type="file" accept="image/*">

This will accept all image formats but no other file like pdf or video.

But if you are using django, in django forms.py;

image_field = forms.ImageField(Here_are_the_parameters)
1
votes

If you want to upload multiple images at once you can add multiple attribute to input.

upload multiple files: <input type="file" multiple accept='image/*'>
1
votes

Other people's answers refactored for ReactJS (hooks)

import React from 'react';

const ImageUploader = () => {

    const handleImageUpload = (e) => {
        // If no file selected, return
        if (e.target.files.length === 0) return false;
        const file = e.target.files[0];

        // If no image selected, return
        if (!/^image\//.test(file.type)) {
            alert(`File ${file.name} is not an image.`);
            return false;
        }

        // ...
    };

    return (
        <>
            <input type='file' accept='image/*' onChange={(e) => handleImageUpload(e)} />
        </>
    );
};

export default ImageUploader;

1
votes

You can add specific type of image or other file type and do validation in your code :

<input  style="margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 5px;" type="file" accept="image/x-png,image/jpeg,application/pdf"
                (change)="handleFileInput($event,'creditRatingFile')" name="creditRatingFile" id="creditRatingFile">
    


  
      handleFileInput(event) {
    console.log(event);
    const file = event.target.files[0];
    if (file.size > 2097152) {
        throw err;
    } else if (
      file.type !== "application/pdf"  &&
      file.type !== "application/wps-office.pdf"   && 
      file.type !== 'application/pdf'  && file.type !== 'image/jpg'  && file.type !== 'image/jpeg'  && file.type !== "image/png"
    ) {
throw err;
    } else {
      
        console.log('file valid')
    }
  }
0
votes

Simple and powerful way(dynamic accept)

place formats in array like "image/*"

var upload=document.getElementById("upload");
var array=["video/mp4","image/png"];
upload.accept=array;
upload.addEventListener("change",()=>{

console.log(upload.value)
})
<input type="file" id="upload" >