Table of Contents
Uploading files with FotoWeb Desktop
Learn how to use the FotoWeb Desktop uploader for Windows and Mac to upload files to FotoWeb.
28. August 2026
Table of Contents
Uploading files using FotoWeb Desktop
FotoWeb Desktop is an application installed on your local computer that allows communication with the remote FotoWeb system. The upload module in FotoWeb Desktop lets you upload files directly from your desktop to any archive for which you have upload permissions. You can also modify the files' metadata before uploading.
When logging on to FotoWeb, you will be prompted to install the software, assuming you have been given rights to any of the FotoWeb Desktop functionality in any of your accessible archives.
When installed, FotoWeb Desktop will appear in the system tray on Windows and in the status menu on macOS.
Starting the uploader
Once FotoWeb Desktop is installed on your computer, there are two ways to start the uploader.
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The easiest way is to double-click the Drop Files to FotoWeb shortcut on your desktop (Windows only). You can also drop files directly onto this shortcut to add them to the upload queue.
An alternative way to start the uploader is to right-click on the FotoWeb Desktop system tray icon and choose Upload.
On a Mac, open the FotoWeb Desktop menu in the status menu (the first icon shown in the screenshot) and choose Upload to FotoWeb...
When the uploader starts, you must supply your credentials to log on to the FotoWeb server and retrieve your archives. Just enter your FotoWeb username and password and click OK.
You can store the login credentials so you won't have to type them in every time.
After you log in, FotoWeb Desktop will download the server configuration and show you the Upload window.
Adding files to the upload queue
After you have authenticated, you can drag files from your desktop and drop them into the uploader, or click the Select files button to open the folder browser and choose one or more files. As mentioned above, you can also add files to the upload queue simply by selecting them in Windows Explorer and dragging them onto the Drop files to FotoWeb icon on the desktop.
Note
While you can drop an entire folder into the upload window to add its files to the upload queue, the uploader will not recursively add the contents of subfolders within that folder to the upload queue.
Choosing the archive to upload the files to
The dropdown list above the file list lets you choose the archive to which to upload the files. The contents of this list will reflect the archives to which you have been granted upload access through the FotoWeb configuration. Your choice of upload archive will also determine which metadata editor you will use to caption the files before uploading.
If the archive contains several folders, you will need to choose which folder to store the files in. Select Select folder below the Upload to list to choose the destination folder. You may also create a new subfolder inside the archive to store your files. Note that if your archive contains multiple folders or subfolders, you must explicitly set an upload folder before you can upload the files.
Editing metadata
When files have been added to the upload queue, you can edit the files' metadata one by one by clicking on the Metadata button next to each file. If you would like to edit the metadata of a number of files in a single operation, you can select them in the list (multi-select files using the Ctrl-key) and then click on the Add text to selected... button. Note that when adding metadata to a number of files this way, any information you add in the editor will be appended to the text already stored in the files. Thus, no information is lost.
Required fields
You may be required to fill in certain metadata fields before uploading files to the archive. This requirement can be configured on the FotoWeb server to ensure that uploaded files contain sufficient information for later retrieval. Fields you must fill in are marked with a yellow background in the metadata editor. The available fields in the editor may also vary depending on the archive you upload to. These settings are configured on the FotoWeb server using Metadata views associated with the archive.
Note
When adding text to files, it is only added to the copy uploaded to FotoWeb. Text will not be stored in the original file on your local drive.
Starting the upload
After you have added files to the queue, chosen a destination archive, and optionally edited the files' metadata, select Upload to start uploading. After the upload completes, a success message appears, and you can choose to upload more files or close the uploader.
Tip
As an administrator, you can ensure that all pictures uploaded to FotoWeb are converted to JPEG format on the client side before being transferred.