Home / Documentation / Azure Storage / Blobs / Upload blobs

Upload blobs to Azure Blob Storage

This document guides you through the process of uploading blobs to Azure Blob Storage using various methods, including the Azure portal, Azure CLI, Azure SDKs, and REST API.

Note: Before you begin, ensure you have an Azure Storage account. If you don't have one, you can create one from the Azure portal.

1. Using the Azure Portal

The Azure portal offers a user-friendly interface for uploading blobs. This is ideal for manual uploads or for testing purposes.

  1. Navigate to your storage account in the Azure portal.
  2. Select the container to which you want to upload blobs.
  3. Click the Upload button.
  4. Select the files you wish to upload from your local machine.
  5. Click Upload.

The portal also allows you to upload entire folders and manage blob properties during the upload process.

2. Using Azure CLI

The Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI) provides powerful scripting capabilities for managing Azure resources, including uploading blobs.

Prerequisites

  • Install the Azure CLI.
  • Sign in to your Azure account: az login

Upload a single blob

Use the az storage blob upload command to upload a file:

Bash 
az storage blob upload \
    --account-name <your-storage-account-name> \
    --container-name <your-container-name> \
    --name <blob-name> \
    --file <path-to-local-file> \
    --auth-mode login

Upload multiple blobs

To upload all files from a local directory to a container:

Bash 
az storage blob upload-batch \
    --account-name <your-storage-account-name> \
    --destination <your-container-name> \
    --source <path-to-local-directory> \
    --auth-mode login

Replace placeholders like <your-storage-account-name>, <your-container-name>, <blob-name>, and <path-to-local-file> with your actual values.

Tip: Use --auth-mode login for Azure AD authentication, or provide a connection string or SAS token for other authentication methods.

3. Using Azure SDKs

Azure Storage SDKs are available for various programming languages, allowing you to integrate blob upload functionality into your applications.

Python Example

Here's a basic example using the Azure Blob Storage client library for Python:

Python 
from azure.storage.blob import BlobServiceClient

CONNECTION_STRING = "YOUR_AZURE_STORAGE_CONNECTION_STRING"
CONTAINER_NAME = "mycontainer"
LOCAL_FILE_PATH = "local_file.txt"
BLOB_NAME = "my_uploaded_blob.txt"

def upload_blob_from_path(connection_string, container_name, file_path, blob_name):
    blob_service_client = BlobServiceClient.from_connection_string(connection_string)
    blob_client = blob_service_client.get_blob_client(container=container_name, blob=blob_name)

    with open(file_path, "rb") as data:
        blob_client.upload_blob(data)
    print(f"Blob '{blob_name}' uploaded successfully.")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    # Ensure you have a container named 'mycontainer' or change the name.
    # You can create it using:
    # blob_service_client = BlobServiceClient.from_connection_string(CONNECTION_STRING)
    # container_client = blob_service_client.create_container(CONTAINER_NAME)

    # Create a dummy local file for demonstration
    with open(LOCAL_FILE_PATH, "w") as f:
        f.write("This is the content of the local file to be uploaded.")

    upload_blob_from_path(CONNECTION_STRING, CONTAINER_NAME, LOCAL_FILE_PATH, BLOB_NAME)

Remember to install the library: pip install azure-storage-blob and replace placeholders with your actual connection string and names.

Other SDKs

Similar examples exist for other SDKs, including:

4. Using Azure Storage REST API

For maximum flexibility, you can interact directly with Azure Blob Storage using its REST API. This involves sending HTTP requests to the service endpoints.

Put Blob Operation

The primary operation for uploading a blob is Put Blob.

Request URL:

https://<storage-account-name>.blob.core.windows.net/<container-name>/<blob-name>?comp=block

HTTP Method: PUT

Headers:

  • x-ms-version: 2020-04-08 (or a later supported version)
  • x-ms-blob-type: BlockBlob
  • Content-Length: <size-of-blob-in-bytes>
  • Authorization: SharedKey <storage-account-name>:<signature> (or other authentication)

Request Body: The binary content of the blob.

For detailed information on constructing REST API requests, refer to the official Put Blob documentation.

Choosing the Right Method

The best method for uploading blobs depends on your specific needs:

  • Azure Portal: Quick manual uploads, visual management.
  • Azure CLI: Scripting, automation, repetitive tasks.
  • Azure SDKs: Application integration, programmatic control.
  • REST API: Advanced control, integration with unsupported languages, custom tooling.

Explore these options to find the most efficient way to manage your data in Azure Blob Storage.