Search Google Appliance

Information Technology

Add a File to a Moodle Course

We're taking you to an updated version of this article.

UMass Amherst Information Technology support articles are now updated in the new IT Knowledge Base. We found an updated version of this article, so we're sending you there.

Taking you to:

umass.service-now.com/sp
Redirecting in
10s

Stay here to view this page in the legacy Support Center.
Information may be outdated as these articles are no longer maintained.

Find answers to your tech questions in the new IT Knowledge Base.

UMass Amherst Information Technology support articles are now updated in the new IT Knowledge Base.

This article is part of our archived legacy Support Center and may be outdated or inaccurate.
We did not find an updated version of this article. That means this archived content is more likely to be outdated or no longer relevant.
Check the new IT Knowledge Base for updated information:

More tech help options

One of the ways to share a file with your students on Moodle is to add it to your course page as a Resource. File types you can add to Moodle include PDF, Word and other text documents, PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, zip files, and media such as image, video, and audio files.

Note: IT recommends that you use accessible PDFs when adding course materials such as readings or handouts.

Drag and Drop a File into a Course Section

The fastest way to add files to Moodle is using "drag and drop," which lets you drag files from your computer directly into a SectionTopic or Weekly Section of a Moodle course. See Drag and Drop Upload in Moodle.

Add a File using the "Add an activity or resource" Link

  1. In the menu bar at the top your course page, select Turn editing on (green pencil icon Turn editing on (green pencil icon)). Editing icons and links will appear.
  2. Locate the Section where you want to add the file. If the Section is collapsed, click the Section title to open it.
  3. At the bottom of the Section, click + Add an activity or resource. The Add an activity or resource pop-up will open showing a tile for each available resource or activity.  
    Note: By default, the panel opens to All and shows all resources and activities. If you have starred favorite activities or resources, the panel will open to Starred. To only view resources, at the top of the pop-up, click Resources
  4. (Optional) On the file tile, for information, click the Information icon (information icon). If you frequently add a files, click the Star icon (favorite star icon) to add it to the Starred tab.
  5. Select the File icon or File link. The Adding a new File page opens.
  6. Configure the settings:
    1. On the Adding a new File page, enter a title for your file in the Name field (required).  The name you enter will display as a link to the file on your main course page.
    2. In the Description text box, enter a description (optional).
      Note: To display the description on the course page, check Display description on course page.
    3. In the Select files section (required), there are two ways to add a file:
      • Select the Add icon (Add File icon, upper left) and choose the source of the file from the File picker window (more on this in File Picker Options below); or
      • Drag and drop a file onto the blue arrow section.  Note: the view must either be "Display folder with file icons" (Display folder with file icons icon) or "Display folder with file details(File details icon):
        drag and drop a file by first selecting icon or details views
  7. Click Save and return to course to return to your main course page.
  8. Click the file link to make certain the file opens properly. 

File Picker Options

On the Adding a new File or Updating File page, for Select Files, selecting the Add icon (Add File icon,upper left) opens the File picker pop up window. File picker options are as follows:

  • Server files -- All folders and files uploaded to your Moodle course. Navigate by clicking on folder or file links.

  • Recent files -- Up to the last 50 files uploaded to your Moodle course.

  • Upload a file -- Browse for files stored locally.  If desired, rename the file in the Save As field (optional). Click Upload this file. You will be returned to the Adding a new file page

  • URL downloader -- (Works only for images) Enter the URL of an image file or a page containing images, then select the image(s) to copy to your Moodle course. Be certain you have copyright permission.

  • Wikimedia -- Search wikimedia for images or files.