ASP.NET Core 8 Image Upload & Display (With Database & Folder Options) — 2025 Complete Guide

Uploading images is one of the most common features in modern web applications. Whether you’re building an e-commerce site, admin panel, blog CMS, or profile management system, you need a secure and efficient image upload system.

In this step-by-step ASP.NET Core 8 tutorial, you will learn:

✔ How to upload an image using IFormFile
✔ How to save the image in a wwwroot folder
✔ How to store image bytes in a database
✔ How to display images back in a page / API response
✔ How to write clean & secure image upload code
✔ Best practices for .NET 8 file handling

If you want to secure your API with JWT before adding image upload, check the previous tutorial:

👉 JWT Authentication in ASP.NET Core 8 (With Refresh Token)

Let’s begin.

⭐ How Image Upload Works in ASP.NET Core 8

ASP.NET Core uses IFormFile to receive files from the client (Postman, form, frontend apps).
You can save uploaded images in two ways:

🔹 Option 1: Save Image in Folder (Recommended for performance)

Store only filename/path in the database.

🔹 Option 2: Save Image in Database (Good for APIs & portability)

Store actual bytes in the DB.

We will implement both methods so you can choose based on your project.

🧱 Step 1: Create Model Class

📌 Models/ProductModel.cs

🛠️ Step 2: Create Folder for Image Uploads

Inside your project:

wwwroot/uploads

If wwwroot is missing → Right-click project → Add → New Folder → Name it wwwroot.

Inside wwwroot → Add folder → uploads

🔧 Step 3: Configure Program.cs for Static Files

In Program.cs:

app.UseStaticFiles();

This allows images inside wwwroot to be accessed via URL.

🧠 Step 4: Create Service for Image Upload

📌 Services/ImageService.cs

image upload and display in asp.net core

Register service in Program.cs:

builder.Services.AddScoped();

🧩 Step 5: Create API Controller

📌 Controllers/ProductController.cs

📸 Step 6: How to Test Image Upload in Postman

📍 POST → `api/product/upload-folder`

image upload to database in asp.net core

API response:

{
“id”: 1,
“name”: “Product A”,
“imagePath”: “/uploads/5fa9e2a3.png”
}

Then open the image in the browser:

https://yourdomain.com/uploads/5fa9e2a3.png

🖼️ Display Image in Web App or API Response

If using MVC or Razor:

If using React, Angular, Vue:

Just bind the API’s imagePath as the src.

❓ FAQ — ASP.NET Core 8 Image Upload

1. How do I upload an image in ASP.NET Core 8?

Use IFormFile with a POST API endpoint and save to folder or database.

2. Should I save images in folder or database?

Folder is faster; database is more portable.

3. How can I display uploaded images?

Use the URL returned by API — images served from wwwroot.

4. What size images are supported?

You can configure max file size using RequestSizeLimit.

5. Does ASP.NET Core 8 support static file serving?

Yes, with app.UseStaticFiles() in Program.cs.

ASP.NET Core 8 Image Upload & Display Tutorial (Database + Folder Options) — 2025 Guide

ASP.NET Core 8 Image Upload & Display (With Database & Folder Options) — 2025 Complete Guide

⭐ How Image Upload Works in ASP.NET Core 8

🔹 Option 1: Save Image in Folder (Recommended for performance)

🔹 Option 2: Save Image in Database (Good for APIs & portability)