Files API

Gemini can handle various types of input data, including text, images, and audio, at the same time.

This guide shows you how to work with media files using the Files API. The basic operations are the same for audio files, images, videos, documents, and other supported file types.

For file prompting guidance, check out the File prompt guide section.

Upload a file

You can use the Files API to upload a media file. Always use the Files API when the total request size (including the files, text prompt, system instructions, etc.) is larger than 100 MB. For PDF files, the limit is 50 MB.

The following code uploads a file and then uses the file in a call to interactions.create.

Python

from google import genai

client = genai.Client()

myfile = client.files.upload(file="path/to/sample.mp3")

interaction = client.interactions.create(
    model="gemini-3.7-flash",
    input=[
        {"type": "text", "text": "Describe this audio clip"},
        {"type": "audio", "uri": myfile.uri, "mime_type": myfile.mime_type}
    ]
)

print(interaction.output_text)

JavaScript

import { GoogleGenAI } from "@google/genai";

const client = new GoogleGenAI({});

async function main() {
  const myfile = await client.files.upload({
    file: "path/to/sample.mp3",
    config: { mime_type: "audio/mpeg" },
  });

  const interaction = await client.interactions.create({
    model: "gemini-3.7-flash",
    input: [
      { type: "text", text: "Describe this audio clip" },
      { type: "audio", uri: myfile.uri, mime_type: myfile.mimeType }
    ]
  });
  console.log(interaction.output_text);
}

await main();

Go

file, err := client.Files.UploadFromPath(ctx, "path/to/sample.mp3", nil)
if err != nil {
    log.Fatal(err)
}
defer client.Files.Delete(ctx, file.Name)

interaction, err := client.Interactions.Create(ctx, "gemini-3.7-flash", &genai.InteractionRequest{
    Input: []interface{}{
        genai.NewPartFromFile(*file),
        genai.NewPartFromText("Describe this audio clip"),
    },
}, nil)

if err != nil {
    log.Fatal(err)
}

// Print the model's text response
for _, step := range interaction.Steps {
    if step.Type == "model_output" {
        for _, part := range step.Content {
            if part.Type == "text" {
                fmt.Println(part.Text)
            }
        }
    }
}

REST

AUDIO_PATH="path/to/sample.mp3"
MIME_TYPE=$(file -b --mime-type "${AUDIO_PATH}")
NUM_BYTES=$(wc -c < "${AUDIO_PATH}")
DISPLAY_NAME=AUDIO

tmp_header_file=upload-header.tmp

# Initial resumable request defining metadata.
# The upload url is in the response headers dump them to a file.
curl "${BASE_URL}/upload/v1beta/files" \
  -H "x-goog-api-key: $GEMINI_API_KEY" \
  -D "${tmp_header_file}" \
  -H "X-Goog-Upload-Protocol: resumable" \
  -H "X-Goog-Upload-Command: start" \
  -H "X-Goog-Upload-Header-Content-Length: ${NUM_BYTES}" \
  -H "X-Goog-Upload-Header-Content-Type: ${MIME_TYPE}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d "{'file': {'display_name': '${DISPLAY_NAME}'}}" 2> /dev/null

upload_url=$(grep -i "x-goog-upload-url: " "${tmp_header_file}" | cut -d" " -f2 | tr -d "\r")
rm "${tmp_header_file}"

# Upload the actual bytes.
curl "${upload_url}" \
  -H "Content-Length: ${NUM_BYTES}" \
  -H "X-Goog-Upload-Offset: 0" \
  -H "X-Goog-Upload-Command: upload, finalize" \
  --data-binary "@${AUDIO_PATH}" 2> /dev/null > file_info.json

file_uri=$(jq ".file.uri" file_info.json)
echo file_uri=$file_uri

# Now create an interaction using the Interactions API
curl -X POST "https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/interactions" \
    -H "x-goog-api-key: $GEMINI_API_KEY" \
    -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    -d '{
      "model": "gemini-3.7-flash",
      "input": [
        {"type": "text", "text": "Describe this audio clip"},
        {"type": "audio", "uri": '$file_uri', "mime_type": "'${MIME_TYPE}'"}
      ]
    }' 2> /dev/null > response.json

cat response.json
echo

jq ".outputs[] | select(.type == \"text\") | .text" response.json

Get metadata for a file

You can verify that the API successfully stored the uploaded file and get its metadata by calling files.get.

Python

from google import genai

client = genai.Client()

myfile = client.files.upload(file='path/to/sample.mp3')
file_name = myfile.name
myfile = client.files.get(name=file_name)
print(myfile)

JavaScript

import {
  GoogleGenAI,
} from "@google/genai";

const client = new GoogleGenAI({});

async function main() {
  const myfile = await client.files