<p>They are uploaded to Craft first to a temporary file, then Assets uses the Asset Source to work out where to send them next - either the local file system or a remote one.</p>

<p>For handling large uploads in general you could look at this plugin: <a href="https://superbig.co/plugins/large-upload" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://superbig.co/plugins/large-upload</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-03T18:04:29.443Z
2017-03-03T18:07:55.587Z
2017-03-03T18:07:55.587Z
Josh Angell
<p>A simple but inelegant workaround for very large files is to upload them directly to the AWS bucket and then update the Asset Index in the Craft CP</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-07T19:34:41.563Z
2021-05-07T19:34:41.563Z
Roi Agneta
<p>When users upload assets to a Craft CMS site setup to use AWS, do the assets go directly to AWS or are they uploaded to the Craft server first? </p>

<p>The reason I ask is I'm building an area where users upload potentially large files from the frontend, and it's quite likely a lot of users will choose to do it at the same time. </p>

<p>If the files are uploaded to the Craft server first, I might have to spec-up the server a bit more and would welcome any tips for helping Craft handle the multiple large uploads as efficiently as possible.</p>

<p>If the files are simply uploaded to AWS, I take it that means there will be little impact on the Craft server and I won't need to worry about any of this. Is that right?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-03T10:28:55.963Z
They are uploaded to Craft first to a temporary file, then Assets uses the Asset Source to work out where to send them next - either the local file system or a remote one. For handling large uploads in general you could look at this plugin: https://superbig.co/plugins/large-upload
Josh Angell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-03T10:32:55.270Z
Hi Josh. That's a bummer. I've signed up to be notified when that plugin is ready. I guess if a large file is sent to both the Craft server and then from there to Amazon AWS, that's a double whammy. Ouch.
Clive Portman
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-03T10:57:24.077Z
Yep, but I think it has to be so that Craft can log all the file meta (height, width, file size, file kind etc) as well as index it for searching etc.
Josh Angell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-03T18:03:11.037Z
@JoshAngell you should add that as an answer. :)
Brad Bell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-03T18:06:15.567Z
@BradBell done! It could definitely be improved upon ...
Josh Angell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-04T11:19:14.663Z
@JoshAngell honestly, meta data is just part of the equation. While technically feasible (http://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-javascript/v2/developer-guide/s3-example-photo-album.html), there are a bunch of caveats - AWS Asset Source specific, exposing credentials that allow upload to a bucket and an upload flow that is disconnected from the general Assets upload flow. If you wanted, though, you probably might be hack together a plugin that allows uploading straight to AWS and then indexes the file back in, but I'd save that for Craft 3, what with the optimized indexing and all :)
Andris Sevcenko
<upload><aws><amazon>
How does Craft handle uploading assets to AWS?
# How does Craft handle uploading assets to AWS?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-03-03)

When users upload assets to a Craft CMS site setup to use AWS, do the assets go directly to AWS or are they uploaded to the Craft server first?

The reason I ask is I'm building an area where users upload potentially large files from the frontend, and it's quite likely a lot of users will choose to do it at the same time.

If the files are uploaded to the Craft server first, I might have to spec-up the server a bit more and would welcome any tips for helping Craft handle the multiple large uploads as efficiently as possible.

If the files are simply uploaded to AWS, I take it that means there will be little impact on the Craft server and I won't need to worry about any of this. Is that right?

**Tags:** upload, aws, amazon

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: They are uploaded to Craft first to a temporary file, then Assets uses the Asset Source to work out where to send them next - either the local file system or a remote one. For handling large uploads in general you could look at this plugin: https://superbig.co/plugins/large-upload  
> **username_0**: Hi Josh. That's a bummer. I've signed up to be notified when that plugin is ready. I guess if a large file is sent to both the Craft server and then from there to Amazon AWS, that's a double whammy. Ouch.  
> **username_1**: Yep, but I think it has to be so that Craft can log all the file meta (height, width, file size, file kind etc) as well as index it for searching etc.  
> **username_2**: @JoshAngell you should add that as an answer. :)  
> **username_1**: @BradBell done! It could definitely be improved upon ...  
> **username_3**: @JoshAngell honestly, meta data is just part of the equation. While technically feasible (http://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-javascript/v2/developer-guide/s3-example-photo-album.html), there are a bunch of caveats - AWS Asset Source specific, exposing credentials that allow upload to a bucket and an upload flow that is disconnected from the general Assets upload flow. If you wanted, though, you probably might be hack together a plugin that allows uploading straight to AWS and then indexes the file back in, but I'd save that for Craft 3, what with the optimized indexing and all :)  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-03-03. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

They are uploaded to Craft first to a temporary file, then Assets uses the Asset Source to work out where to send them next - either the local file system or a remote one.

For handling large uploads in general you could look at this plugin: <https://superbig.co/plugins/large-upload>


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### Answer by username_4 on 2021-05-07. Score: 1

A simple but inelegant workaround for very large files is to upload them directly to the AWS bucket and then update the Asset Index in the Craft CP


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