Uploading and managing files (or not)

Key topics this guide will cover:

File size limits and storage
Options to publish without uploading files
File upload options
Folder upload and browsing
Upload large files and bulk upload using the FTP uploader, desktop uploader or API
How to restore deleted files

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File size limits and storage

All figshare.com accounts are provided with 20GB of private storage and are able to upload individual files up to 20GB. For institutional users, your private space limit is dependent on your institution, please contact your institutional admins if you require more space. Figshare for institutions also offers larger file size uploads up to 5TB. See more in the account limits section.

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Options to publish without uploading files

If you have a file you can share, you should upload it. Using a platform like Figshare makes your research findable by other researchers (through the metadata) but if they can’t easily access the file(s) it’s not really open research.

With that said, you may have research that you want to publish but cannot upload the files. Maybe the files are already uploaded and available somewhere else on the internet and it doesn’t make sense to move them. Or perhaps the data you want to publish is not digital but you still want others to know the data exists and how to access it.

In Figshare there are two options:

1. Link to an external file

On your item page click the Link to external files radio button at the top of the file upload area and copy your link in the box. Be sure to click the check mark to save the link. If you’ve uploaded files, you will need to remove them before being able to select this option. Fill in the rest of the metadata and publish your item.

2. Publish a metadata only record

On your item page click the Set as metadata record radio button at the top of the screen and enter a reason. If you’ve uploaded files, you will need to remove them before being able to select this option. Fill in the rest of the metadata and publish your item.

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File upload options

There are multiple ways to upload files to your Figshare account. Please see the Account limits section of this guide for storage limits and file size limits.

1. Through My data where you can drag and drop files. Most web browsers can cope with ~5GB single file uploads. See below for more information.
2. Using FTP – useful for very large files or many files. See the separate page in this guide for details.
3. Figshare API – useful for adding both files and metadata, especially big files or many files. See the separate page in this guide for details.

If these options do not meet your data needs, please create a support ticket.

Adding files and folders through My data

Once logged into your account, make sure you are on the ‘My data’ tab. You can upload files by either dragging and dropping files on to the My data page or by clicking the ‘+Create a new item’ button. If you have never started a new item or have previously created only a few items, you will see a prominent drag and drop section in ‘My data’ with an option to browse for files. If you have more than a few items in your account you will only see the list of items in My data. The two upload options work in either case.

Option 1: Drag and drop anywhere on the My data page. If there is more than one file, Figshare will prompt you to choose whether you’d like to create a new item for each file, or add all the files to one new item. Note: Dragging and dropping files onto the list of existing items in your My data page will always create new items, it will not add files to your existing items (use Option 2 for that).

Option 2: Click the +Create a new item button (upper left) or open an existing item from the My data page. A new tab opens and you can drag and drop files into the file upload box. You can also drag entire folders into this space and Figshare will maintain your folder structure and provide previews for as many file types as possible (see the uploading folder section in this guide).

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Folder upload and browsing

Managing complex datasets can present challenges. Figshare’s enhanced folder upload and browsing experience ensures that complex datasets can be easily managed and shared. For users depositing complex datasets, it is important to be able to upload related files efficiently and in a way that is optimal for re-use, allowing end-users to find specific files within large datasets.

Figshare supports the ability to upload folders and will preserve the structure of the folder for display. This allows the relationship between files to be maintained when viewing an item.

Upload folders to Figshare

Folders can only be uploaded on the metadata entry page. This is different from individual files which can be dragged and dropped to the My data page or a metadata entry page. If you drag a folder to the My data page, a draft item will be created but the folder will need to be dragged to the upload area again. Figshare supports a maximum of five-hundred files per item.

All files added to the item can be viewed following upload, irrespective of whether or not they are contained within folders. Icons are used to differentiate between files contained within folders, files, or images.

The ‘Manage files’ modal allows the uploaded files to be deleted and moved. Deleted files can be restored within 30 days (duration may be different in institutional Figshare repositories) and will maintain their folder location. Reordering files will control how they are ordered within folders, but files can’t be moved between folders. It is not possible to rearrange the position of folders once they have been added to an item.

View and download folders and items

The default view for items containing folders is the thumbnail view. A breadcrumb indicates the user’s position within the folder hierarchy and can be used for navigation. Users can switch between the ‘Thumbnail view’, ‘List view’ and ‘File view’.

While viewing a specific file, the view will switch to ‘File view’. In this view, the folder structure is displayed on the left-hand side of the screen and it is possible to browse items within the folder hierarchy. The ‘File view’ only supports the display of a folder hierarchy ten levels deep. To view files in subfolders below this it is necessary to download the folder or switch views.

Individual files can be downloaded from the ‘File view’. Individual files and specific folders can be downloaded from the ‘Thumbnail view’ and ‘List view’. Folders will be downloaded as zipped files and will include any files and folders contained within them.

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Upload large files and bulk upload using FTPS or the API

‍If your files are larger than 5GB, your browser may not be able to support the file transfer and you should consider the options described here. Please see the File upload options section of this guide for an overview and see the Account limits section of this guide for file number and size limits.

How to use the API

Documentation on how to use Figshare’s API can be found at https://docs.figshare.com/ and the API section(s) in this help site. Uploading files via the API requires scripting in order to process your files, access the required endpoints, and use your API token. The help resources include a full Python script that you can use with very few changes.

‍How to use the FTPS solution

Overview

You can easily and securely upload files into your Figshare account directly from your computer using the secure FTP uploader (including if you have an institutional account). To use this method, you will need to install an FTP client like Filezilla (but any FTP client will work).

Before you begin

There are some simple rules you need to follow when using the FTP uploader:

1. Once you connect using FTP to Figshare, you will see a folder called “data”. The data folder is your home directory in Figshare.
2. To upload your file(s) you need to create a folder first within the data directory. The folder name will become the item title. For example, if you have several files and you want to upload them into separate items — and get a DOI for each of them — you will need to make multiple folders. If you want to group the files together — with a single DOI for the set of files —, create a single folder and upload them all inside.
3. You can’t copy sub-folders only files.
   If you have multiple files grouped in sub-folders, you would need to remove the folder structure first, as Figshare won’t allow you to add folders in the item folder you’ve just created in the root directory. (If you add a sub-folder inside the folder, this will be ignored and its contains won’t be uploaded into your Figshare account). 
4. The folder name you create has a maximum of 200 characters.
   You can modify the title from My data in the Figshare interface later. After you rename the item title, you will still be able to upload files in the folder, even if it has a different name.
5. There are some characters that you cannot use, as they are not allowed by operating systems: \ / : * ? ” < > | ‘ { }
6. You cannot upload a file called debug_log.txt or processed_files_log.txt.
7. The FTP solution allows you only to upload files not delete. Deleting them is an action that must be performed from My data in the Figshare interface.
8. You can only upload files to new Figshare items. You cannot update existing Figshare items.
9. There is a limit of 5TB per file.
10. All files uploaded to the FTP uploader will be deleted automatically after 10 days. If you encounter any issues with your upload, please contact support@figshare.com as soon as possible to resolve the issue to avoid losing the upload.

What you need

1. Filezilla (or other FTP) installed and running on your computer.
2. Your FTP username and password from Figshare.
3. The Figshare connection settings.

Log into your target Figshare account, this will be a figshare.com account or an institutional Figshare account.     

Go to the top right of the interface, click on your personal image and select ‘Application’ from the drop-down menu. This will bring you to the Integrations page where you can view your username and generate a password to use with the FTP application.

Username: You can find the username under the FTP login detail.     

Password: If you have an institutional Figshare account (using SSO) you will need to generate a password, otherwise use the same password as the one you usually use to log in to Figshare.

Note: You need to store/copy this safely as it will not be displayed in the interface once you leave. However, if you forget it you’ll always be able to generate a new one. In this case, the old password becomes unusable.

Now open your FTP application and connect to Figshare following the settings below (for Filezilla).

Filezilla instructions

To create a connection in FileZilla you will need to use the site manager.

1. Click File and open the site manager.
2. Click the new site button.
3. Enter a name for the new site (e.g. Figshare).
4. Enter the following settings:

• Host: : ftps.figshare.com Port: 21 (if you’re using stage, please use ftps.figsh.com instead)
• Protocol: FTP – File Transfer Protocol
• Logon Type: Ask for Password
• User: The username you copied from Figshare (e.g. 23456788)

5. Click the transfer settings tab. Then select Passive for the transfer mode,
6. Click the connect button.
7. You will be prompted for your password; enter it, and click OK.
8. Right click in the right hand /data area of Filezilla and create a directory.  This will be the location you copy your files into and will be the title of the item in My data in Figshare.

9. Drag and drop files between the local folder on the left to the remote Figshare directory/folder you created on the right.
   Note: You can only copy files not folders
10. The files will be processed immediately. After successfully processing the file(s), they are deleted from the folder and a log event is inserted into processed_files_log.txt, which is created on the fly. The log file is located in the item folder. Another log file is created debug_log.txt containing all actions for items/files.

After setting up the site in the site manager you can simply open the site manager and click the connect button. You will not have to enter your settings again.

FTP FAQs

What can be added to the folder?‍

After creating the item folder, you will be able to upload any number of files inside it.

If you have multiple files grouped in sub-folders, you would need to remove the folder structure first, as Figshare won’t allow you to add folders in the item folder you’ve just created in the root directory.

If you add a sub-folder inside the folder, we will simply ignore it and its contains won’t be uploaded into your Figshare account.

In case you need to maintain the structure, you need to make an archive and upload it in the original folder.

What is the maximum file size you can upload?

See the Account limit section in this guide for file size limits. The FTP process allows you to upload files greater than your account limit, but the files are not processed. You will see an error in the debug_log.txt. The file will remain in the FTP folder until you choose to remove it. 

Do you support WinSCP?

Yes, but if asked for encryption, please select TLS/SSL Explicit Encryption.

How to use the desktop uploader – Deprecated

‍07/09/2020 – Please note, ongoing support for the desktop uploader has shifted to the FTP client outlined above. Existing installations may still work, but no new downloads or support for existing installations will be offered

The desktop uploader is a lightweight app that sits on your desktop and allows you to drag in your research outputs, where you can then track their progress as they are uploaded securely to the cloud.

You can upload many files at once and resumable uploads are also supported, which means if your internet connection drops you don’t need to start the uploads again. Create personal API token under the Applications section in your user account and use the code to sign into the Desktop uploader.

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How to restore deleted files

From the edit item page in your My data, you can restore deleted files in an item for up to 30 days from the point at which they were deleted (the time period may be different for institutional versions of Figshare). To restore deleted files, click on View deleted files on the right-hand side of the edit item page.

A pop up appears and you can restore one more more deleted files to the item. Just check the box(es) next to the file(s) and click the Restore files button.