Upload ON, TO or INTO? Which is the correct preposition?

Vocabulary / By

We can use the prepositions “on”,”to”,”onto”, and “by” with the verb to “upload”.  Other prepositions like “into” are not common because we don’t use “in” with the internet.

Common examples:

Upload to: the internet, the server, google

Upload on: Facebook, Youtube, Instagram.

The key difference is that we use “to” when we want to show that we are moving a file from one place to another and “on” with the specific website and we don’t want to focus on the movement of the file.   

Upload To

The preposition “to” is usually used to mean “in the direction of” when used with a verb or an adjective. This “to” can be physically moving “in the direction of” or it can be metaphorical. 

Let’s look at some examples of “upload” with the preposition “to”:

We need to upload the file to the cloud.

Don’t upload that to the website yet!

Basically when we use “to” we are talking about moving something.

Upload On

We often use the preposition “on” with a verb or an adjective when something exists physically on a surface. We also use “on” with technology because we think of the screen  of a computer as a surface. Let’s look at some examples of “upload” with the preposition “on”:

That video was uploaded on the internet.

The picture was uploaded on Facebook.

Notice that we use “on” with all internet platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, etc.

Upload By

We use the preposition “by” with a verb or an adjective to show who performed the action. 

Example:

This file was uploaded by user: 4477steph

Upload Onto

We often use the preposition “onto” with a verb or an adjective when something exists physically on a surface and there is some movement involved. Let’s look at some examples of upload with the preposition “onto”:

You need to upload that file onto the server.

My video was uploaded onto the internet last night. 

Read more about in or on a website here.

 

Conor
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