﻿---
title: Upload data files
description: You can upload files, view their fields and metrics, and optionally import them to Elasticsearch with the Data Visualizer. To use the Data Visualizer,...
url: https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-content/pull/4436/manage-data/ingest/upload-data-files
products:
  - Elastic Cloud Serverless
  - Kibana
---

# Upload data files
You can upload files, view their fields and metrics, and optionally import them to Elasticsearch with the Data Visualizer.
To use the Data Visualizer, click **Upload a file** on the Elasticsearch **Getting Started** page or navigate to the **Integrations** view and search for **Upload a file**. Clicking **Upload a file** opens the Data Visualizer UI.
![File upload UI](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-content/pull/4436/manage-data/images/serverless-file-uploader-UI.png)

Drag a file into the upload area or click **Select or drag and drop a file** to choose a file from your computer.
You can upload different file formats for analysis with the Data Visualizer:
File formats supported up to 500 MB:
- CSV
- TSV
- NDJSON
- Log files

File formats supported up to 60 MB:
- PDF
- Microsoft Office files (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Plain Text (TXT)
- Rich Text (RTF)
- Open Document Format (ODF)

The Data Visualizer displays the first 1000 rows of the file. You can inspect the data and make any necessary changes before importing it. Click **Import** continue the process.
This process will create an index and import the data into Elasticsearch. Once your data is in Elasticsearch, you can start exploring it, see [Explore and analyze](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-content/pull/4436/explore-analyze) for more information.
<important>
  The upload feature is not intended for use as part of a repeated production process, but rather for the initial exploration of your data.
</important>


## Required privileges

The Elastic Stack security features provide roles and privileges that control which users can upload files. To upload a file in Kibana and import it into an Elasticsearch index, you’ll need:
- `manage_pipeline` or `manage_ingest_pipelines` cluster privilege
- `create`, `create_index`, `manage`, and `read` index privileges for the index
- `all` Kibana privileges for **Discover** and **Data Views Management**

You can manage your roles, privileges, and spaces in **Stack Management**.