Why does GitHub redirect to a higher-level folder after uploading a file in a nested directory?

[batakpout]

Select Topic Area

Product Feedback

Body

Hi GitHub team,

I noticed an unexpected behavior when manually uploading files through the GitHub UI in deeply nested folders.

Steps to reproduce:
1. Navigate to a deeply nested folder in a repository, e.g. a/b/c/d/e/f.
2. Click “Add file → Upload files”.
3. Select and upload a file.
4. After the upload succeeds, GitHub redirects me to a higher-level folder (a in this case )instead of staying in the same folder.

Expected behavior:
After a successful upload, I should remain in the same folder (f) so I can quickly verify or manage the uploaded files.

Actual behavior:
After the upload, I am redirected to a higher-level folder(a) and have to manually navigate back to f.

This makes managing uploads in deep directory structures a bit frustrating.
Is this the intended behavior, or could it be improved to keep users in the same folder after uploading?

Thanks,
Aamir

[github-actions[bot]]

💬 Your Product Feedback Has Been Submitted 🎉

Thank you for taking the time to share your insights with us! Your feedback is invaluable as we build a better GitHub experience for all our users.

Here's what you can expect moving forward ⏩

• Your input will be carefully reviewed and cataloged by members of our product teams. 
  • Due to the high volume of submissions, we may not always be able to provide individual responses.
  • Rest assured, your feedback will help chart our course for product improvements.
• Other users may engage with your post, sharing their own perspectives or experiences. 
• GitHub staff may reach out for further clarification or insight. 
  • We may 'Answer' your discussion if there is a current solution, workaround, or roadmap/changelog post related to the feedback.

Where to look to see what's shipping 👀

• Read the Changelog for real-time updates on the latest GitHub features, enhancements, and calls for feedback.
• Explore our Product Roadmap, which details upcoming major releases and initiatives.

What you can do in the meantime 💻

• Upvote and comment on other user feedback Discussions that resonate with you.
• Add more information at any point! Useful details include: use cases, relevant labels, desired outcomes, and any accompanying screenshots.

As a member of the GitHub community, your participation is essential. While we can't promise that every suggestion will be implemented, we want to emphasize that your feedback is instrumental in guiding our decisions and priorities.

Thank you once again for your contribution to making GitHub even better! We're grateful for your ongoing support and collaboration in shaping the future of our platform. ⭐

[jfullstackdev]

I did try it, before upload and after upload, there is the option to commit, right ? at that point, you are still in the directory

the moment it completes, you are redirected at the top level

yes, if that is your experience, it's not like Google Drive that you remain in that folder

because this is a version control rather than a storage, though it's a storage in a sense that it's the central repo of any other dev, but it's specialized

and no one does the uploading like that, it's not even day to day task of Dev, maybe occasionally

we usually use Git or GitHub Desktop locally to push files in the remote, GitHub is just the central place so every Dev has only one single truth,

it might be confusing at first that GitHub has those features but is kind of unique or unusual, GitHub added its own feature but is still based on Git, and uploading files like that is not the norm in Dev, hence resulting to that kind of behavior

in order for you to easily upload your files, if they are many, you can start using GitHub Desktop where you can simply navigate like a Windows Explorer, then drag and drop in there,

if you still have questions, feel free to ask in this thread

[batakpout]

For developers who don’t have push access on their office machines, I’m sure many rely on this upload feature. If it wasn’t widely used, GitHub probably wouldn’t have allowed it. It’s a bit frustrating though, after uploading, users shouldn’t be redirected to the parent folder but should stay in the same directory.

[kirangangad]

It’s not a bug, it’s just how GitHub’s web UI works right now.
When you upload a file through the browser in a nested folder, GitHub processes the commit and then reloads the repo view from the top level. That’s why you get redirected back to a higher-level folder instead of staying inside the nested one.

This behavior happens because GitHub is primarily a version control system, not a file storage service like Google Drive. Uploading directly in deep folders isn’t a common workflow for developers — normally we commit and push files from local Git or tools like GitHub Desktop / command line.

👉 If you want to keep working in nested folders without being redirected every time, the best approach is:

• Use Git locally (git add, git commit, git push)
• Or use GitHub Desktop, where you can drag-and-drop files into the right folder

That way, you’ll have full control and won’t face this redirection issue.

[batakpout]

I don’t think this is a bug either, it seems to be how the GitHub team designed the feature. That said, I’m sure many developers find it a bit annoying, so it would be nice if, after an upload, users could stay in the same folder instead of being redirected to the parent directory.

[jfullstackdev]

Devs would not encounter this usually because, again, as I mentioned, we work locally with files, we use Git or GitHub Desktop to push changes, we rarely upload like that, GitHub provides it for convenience

[kirangangad]

Hi, Yeah, you’re right — this looks more like a design choice than a bug. The current flow always bounces back to the parent folder after an upload, which can be frustrating if you’re working in deeply nested directories. As far as I know, there’s no built-in setting to change this behavior. If you’d like GitHub to reconsider it, I’d recommend opening a ticket on the GitHub Feedback discussions<https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/categories/general?utm_source=chatgpt.com> or filing a feature request. That way, the product team can see that multiple developers run into this, and maybe they’ll add an option to “stay in current folder after upload” in the future. Best, Kiran

…

________________________________ From: batakpout ***@***.***> Sent: Thursday, September 4, 2025 4:59 PM To: community/community ***@***.***> Cc: Kiran Gangad ***@***.***>; Comment ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [community/community] Why does GitHub redirect to a higher-level folder after uploading a file in a nested directory? (Discussion #172323) I don’t think this is a bug either, it seems to be how the GitHub team designed the feature. That said, I’m sure many developers find it a bit annoying, so it would be nice if, after an upload, users could stay in the same folder instead of being redirected to the parent directory. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#172323 (reply in thread)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/BH5XH3AG6O64F535RHWPTA33RBVVLAVCNFSM6AAAAACFT7EWVOVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43URDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHMYTIMZQHE4TIMQ>. You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[batakpout]

Thanks @kirangangad , could you please share a direct link to the page where I can raise this ticket? The link you shared takes me to the discussion forum, but I don’t see any option there to create a ticket

[batakpout]

@queenofcorgis I raised the request here https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/172454#discussioncomment-14318423. are u referring to this page's discussion?

[queenofcorgis]

Hi @batakpout - yes I was referring to this discussion, both discussions are a part of the same community!

[batakpout]

@queenofcorgis Thanks for this! I’m assuming the GitHub support team will at least see this ticket I raised, and eventually decide on the next steps