> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.dingtalk.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Differences between Upload and Import in DingTalk Docs Knowledge Base

> Understand the difference between Upload and Import in Knowledge Base: uploading preserves the original file format for link-based sharing, while importing converts Word, Excel, and XMind files into editable online DingTalk Docs formats.

## What are Upload and Import?

### Upload:

Upload any type of local file to a Knowledge Base, with preview support for select formats. After uploading, get a file link to share **without changing the file format**.

How to upload: On the **Knowledge Base homepage** >> click "" in the left-hand table of contents >> select to upload a local file or folder to the Knowledge Base.

### Import:

Import certain types of local files to a Knowledge Base, **converting them into online files**. Get a document link to share, **with the file converted to DingTalk Docs format**.

How to import: On the **Knowledge Base homepage** >> click "" in the left-hand table of contents >> select **Import as online document**.

The format conversion for different file types after import is as follows:

| **Local file type**                | **Online file type** |
| ---------------------------------- | -------------------- |
| doc, docx, markdown, mark, md, txt | DingTalk Docs        |
| xls, xlsx                          | Spreadsheet          |
| xmind                              | DingTalk Mind        |

## Which file types do Upload and Import support? Are there file size limits?

Upload **supports preview for a wide range of file types**, with a maximum of 8 GB per file. Import **supports only document types**, with a maximum of 20 MB per file.

The differences are as follows:

| **Method** | **File Type**   | **Supported preview formats**                                                                                                                                                  | **Size limit**     |
| ---------- | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------ |
| Upload     | Document        | pdf, pptx, ppt, pot, potx, pps, ppsx, dps, dpt, pptm, potm, ppsm, xls, xlt, et, ett, xlsx, xltx, xlsb, xlsm, xltm, csv, doc, dot, wps, wpt, docx, dotx, docm, dotm, txt, xmind | 8 GB max per file  |
|            | Image           | jpeg, bmp, png, jpg, ico, webp                                                                                                                                                 |                    |
|            | Audio and video | 3GP, AVI, FLV, MP4, M3U8, MPG, ASF, WMV, MKV, MOV, TS, WebM, MXF, AAC, AC-3, ADPCM, AMR, DSD, MP1, MP2, MP3, PCM, RealAudio, Windows Media Audio                               |                    |
|            | Other           | zip archive                                                                                                                                                                    |                    |
| Import     | Document        | docx, xlsx, doc, xls, txt, xmind, markdown, mark, md                                                                                                                           | 20 MB max per file |

## When should you use Upload and when should you use Import?

| **Method** | **Use case**                                                                                                                                                                          |
| ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Upload     | \*   Move existing team PPTs and document materials to a department Knowledge Base for centralized management.<br />    <br />\*   Share local images and videos with multiple teams. |
| Import     | \*   Convert local files into online files.                                                                                                                                           |

## Do Upload and Import consume organization storage?

**Upload File** **consumes organization storage**, while **Import as online document** **does not consume organization storage**. Details are as follows:

| **Method**                                                                       | **Billing target**                     | **Files counted toward storage**       | **Notes**                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Upload**<br />Upload local files or folders to My Docs or Knowledge Base       | The space at the upload location       | All uploaded files                     | \*   When uploading a folder directly, only the files inside the folder count toward cloud storage; the folder itself does not.<br />    <br />\*   Viewing images, videos, and files owned by others does not consume your storage. |
| **Import**<br />Create or Import as online document in My Docs or Knowledge Base | \[Free for a limited time] Not counted | \[Free for a limited time] Not counted | \[Free for a limited time] Not counted                                                                                                                                                                                               |

For details on how DingTalk Docs storage is calculated, see: How is DingTalk Docs storage calculated?

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