Files

Upload and manage files

The Files API allows you to upload, manage, and transform files.

List Files

Retrieve all files.

GET /files

Example:

curl "https://your-directus-instance.com/files" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

Get File

Retrieve a single file.

GET /files/:id

Upload File

Upload a new file.

POST /files

Using multipart/form-data:

curl -X POST "https://your-directus-instance.com/files" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -F "file=@/path/to/image.jpg" \
  -F "title=My Image" \
  -F "folder=abc123"

Using JSON:

curl -X POST "https://your-directus-instance.com/files" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "filename_download": "image.jpg",
    "storage": "local",
    "data": "base64encodedcontent..."
  }'

Import from URL

Import a file from a URL.

POST /files/import

Request Body:

{
  "url": "https://example.com/image.jpg"
}

Update File

Update file metadata.

PATCH /files/:id

Request Body:

{
  "title": "Updated Title",
  "description": "Updated description",
  "folder": "def456"
}

Delete File

Delete a file.

DELETE /files/:id

Access Files

Access uploaded files directly:

GET /assets/:id

Image Transformations

Apply transformations to images:

# Resize
GET /assets/:id?width=500&height=300

# Fit modes
GET /assets/:id?fit=cover&width=800&height=600

# Format
GET /assets/:id?format=webp&quality=80

# Focal point
GET /assets/:id?width=400&height=400&fit=cover&focal_point_x=0.75&focal_point_y=0.25

Transform parameters:

• width, height - Dimensions
• fit - cover, contain, inside, outside
• quality - 0-100
• format - jpg, png, webp, tiff, avif
• withoutEnlargement - Don’t upscale
• focal_point_x, focal_point_y - Focal point (0-1)

File Properties

id · string

Unique file identifier (UUID)

storage · string

Storage location name

filename_disk · string

Filename on disk

filename_download · string

Filename for downloads

title · string

File title

type · string

MIME type (e.g., image/jpeg)

folder · string

Folder ID

uploaded_by · string

User ID who uploaded the file

filesize · integer

File size in bytes

width · integer

Image width (for images)

height · integer

Image height (for images)

Next Steps

Folders

Manage file folders

File Storage

Configure storage