Where Does Joomla Store Media Uploads?
Joomla media uploads land in the images folder at the web root, with site config in configuration.php. Self-hosted paths and backup notes.
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Joomla stores media uploads in the images folder at the site root. The Media Manager browses exactly that directory, so FTP uploads to images/ appear in the manager with no import step. Site credentials and paths live separately in configuration.php, also at the root.
Extensions sometimes add their own folders, but core content stays in images. When migrating, move the folder with the database together or every article image 404s on the new host. Template overrides never touch images, so template updates are safe to apply without touching media.
Where Joomla stores this, by platform
<web-root>/images
Core media store browsed by the Media Manager. configuration.php sits at the same root with database credentials. Exact root varies (/var/www/html, /home/user/public_html) by host and panel.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the media folder location?
Yes, in System, Global Configuration, Server or via the Media component options. Moving it breaks existing article image links, so update content or redirect the old path after the change.
How do I back up a Joomla site?
Copy the whole web root plus a database dump. configuration.php holds the database credentials the dump belongs to. Files plus database is the complete site.
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