How to Upload Files to GitHub

This guide shows you how to add CSV files and other content to your GitHub repository using the web interface.

When You Need This

• You need to upload your metadata CSV file
• You want to add transcript files to your project
• You need to upload images or other media files

Step 1: Navigate to the Correct Directory

1. Go to your repository
   • Open your GitHub repository in your web browser
2. Navigate to the destination folder
   • For metadata: Click on the _data folder
   • For transcripts: Navigate to _data, then create or enter the transcripts folder
   • For images: Click on the objects folder

   

Step 2: Upload Your Files

Option A: Upload Existing Files

1. Click “Add file” button at the top of the file list
   • A dropdown menu will appear

   

2. Select “Upload files” from the dropdown menu
   • The file upload interface will appear

   

3. Add your files
   • Drag and drop files from your computer onto the upload area
   • OR click “choose your files” to select files using your file browser
   • You can upload multiple files at once

   

4. Commit your changes
   • Scroll down to the “Commit changes” section
   • Add a descriptive commit message
     • Example: “Add metadata and transcript files” or “Upload interview images”
   • Click “Commit changes”

   

Option B: Create a New File

This is useful for creating small files like CSV files directly on GitHub:

1. Click “Add file” button at the top of the file list

2. Select “Create new file” from the dropdown menu
   • A text editor will open

   

3. Name your file
   • Type the filename in the field at the top
   • Include the proper extension (e.g., .csv, .md)
   • For transcripts, type transcripts/filename.csv to create in the transcripts subfolder

   

4. Add your content
   • Type or paste your file content in the main editor area
   • For CSV files, ensure comma-separated formatting is maintained

   

5. Commit your new file
   • Scroll down to the “Commit new file” section
   • Add a descriptive commit message
   • Click “Commit new file”

Step 3: Verify Your Upload

1. Check that your files appear in the directory
   • GitHub will return you to the folder view
   • Your newly uploaded or created files should appear in the list

   

2. Click on a file to verify its contents
   • CSV files will be displayed in a formatted table view
   • Images will be displayed as previews

   

Important Tips for OHD Files

Metadata File

• Upload to the _data directory
• Filename should match what’s in your _config.yml (typically metadata.csv)
• Ensure it has all required fields (objectid, title, display_template)

Transcript Files

• Upload to the _data/transcripts directory
• Filenames must match the objectid values in your metadata
• Example: If objectid is “smith_john”, filename must be “smith_john.csv”

Creating the Transcripts Folder

If the transcripts folder doesn’t exist yet:

1. Click “Add file” → “Create new file”
2. Type “transcripts/placeholder.csv” in the name field
3. Add some sample content
4. Commit the file to create the folder
5. You can delete this placeholder file later

Common Issues and Solutions

Problem	Solution
File too large	GitHub has a 100MB file size limit; consider external hosting for large media
Upload failing	Try uploading fewer files at once
CSV displaying incorrectly	Verify your CSV format; avoid Excel and use Google Sheets or plain text editors
Transcripts not showing on site	Check that filenames exactly match objectids in metadata

Next Steps

After uploading your files:

1. Configure your site if you haven’t already
2. Publish your site to make it accessible online
3. Test your site to ensure everything works correctly