Serving media and static files directories

[MichelGhaith]

Why the directory of static files is outside APPS_DIR directory while media directory is within APPS_DIR ?

[Ebikemeese]

STATIC files are part of your application’s assets (CSS, JS, shared images),

but they are shared across all apps. Django collects all static files from every app

into one central folder (via collectstatic) so the web server can serve them efficiently.

That’s why STATIC_ROOT is outside APPS_DIR — it’s a single unified location.

STATIC_URL = '/static/'
STATIC_ROOT = BASE_DIR / 'staticfiles' # centralized location outside apps

MEDIA FILES

MEDIA files are user-generated content, often tied to a particular app.

For example, a profile_picture uploaded in the accounts app belongs specifically to that app.

Storing MEDIA inside APPS_DIR keeps uploaded content organized and logically linked to the app that owns it.

MEDIA_URL = '/media/'
MEDIA_ROOT = APPS_DIR / 'media' # inside apps directory

Summary:

STATIC = project-wide, shared assets → outside APPS_DIR

MEDIA = app-specific, user content → inside APPS_DIR

Example directory structure

"""
project_root/
│
├─ apps/ <-- APPS_DIR
│ ├─ accounts/
│ │ └─ models.py
│ └─ media/ <-- user uploads go here
│
├─ staticfiles/ <-- collected STATIC files go here
├─ manage.py
└─ settings.py
"""