Large Media requirements and limitations
This feature is deprecated
Netlify’s Large Media service is deprecated. While Large Media continues to function for sites that currently have it enabled, new Large Media configuration is not recommended. Refer to the deprecation notice in our Support Forums for alternative services and more information.
To avoid the risk of file loss, read our Uninstalling Large Media Support Guide and contact support for assistance turning off Large Media for an existing site.
Netlify Large Media can be a powerful tool for your sites and apps, but because it’s built on Git LFS, it fundamentally changes how your Git repository works, and how your files are handled on Netlify.
Make sure to review the following requirements and limitations before enabling Large Media on a site and repository.
# Requirements
To enable Large Media on a site repository, or to connect to an existing Large-Media-enabled site for local development, you need the following:
- A Netlify site connected with a Git repository for continuous deployment. The site must have at least one successful deploy before using Large Media. If the repository already has Git LFS set up with another provider, visit our Forums for a verified Support Guide on migrating your files from other LFS providers.
- A Netlify user login with access to the site configuration. (This is true for every Developer committing large media files to the site, unless they are using a CMS.)
- Git LFS 2.5.1 or later, installed on your local machine. You can run
git lfs versionin your terminal to check if you have a valid version installed. If not, follow the installation instructions on the Git LFS website. - Netlify CLI 3.8.0 or later. Refer to the CLI docs for information on installation, authentication, and linking your local repository clone to your Netlify site.
# Limitations
Different sites have different needs, and Netlify Large Media may not be the best solution for all situations. Make sure to review the following before enabling Large Media on a site and repository:
- Files tracked with Netlify Large Media are tied to a specific site. This means that Deploy to Netlify buttons and repositories with multiple connected sites (such as monorepos) are not supported. Similarly, you cannot create a new site from a fork of a repository, though you can fork a Large-Media-enabled repository for the purpose of making contributions to be merged into the original repository.
- Files tracked with Large Media are uploaded directly to the Netlify Large Media storage service on push, completely bypassing the site build. This saves build time, but also means that the files are not available to tools that process asset files during the build, such as Hugo’s image processing or the
gatsby-imageplugin. Depending on your needs, you may be able to replace this functionality with Netlify’s image transformation service. - Uploading tracked files to the Netlify Large Media storage service requires Git to have access to the
/.netlify/large-mediapath on the connected site. This will not work with Site Protection, but will work with other forms of visitor access control, as long as you leave access open to the/.netlify/large-mediapath. - Netlify Large Media is not suitable for streaming audio or video files. However, storing these assets for download should work well.
- Netlify Large Media is intended for files up to 100 MB in size.
# To stop service
Netlify Large Media’s connection with Git LFS requires extra care when disabling the service or deleting a site with the service enabled.
# Disable Large Media
Because Netlify Large Media and Git LFS change the way your files are saved, disabling Large Media requires assistance from Netlify Support. To request this assistance, please make a new topic in our Support Forums.
# Delete a site with Large Media enabled
When you configure a repository to use Git LFS and Large Media, your designated LFS-tracked files will no longer be stored in your repository on your Git provider. Instead, they will be stored in the Large Media store for your connected Netlify site. This means that if you delete that site, you will not be able to recover the files at your Git provider.
Don’t forget to make a copy!
To avoid permanent file loss, always clone your entire repository locally before deleting a site with Large Media enabled.
To clone your entire repository with all branches and history, run the following command:
git clone --mirror YOUR_REPOSITORY_URL
Make sure your files have downloaded properly before deleting the connected site on Netlify.
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