How to Create a Torrent

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Co-authored by Luigi Oppido and Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: November 13, 2024 Fact Checked

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Install qBitTorrent

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Copy Trackers

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Create the Torrent

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Video

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Expert Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

This wikiHow teaches you how to create a torrent file. Torrent files are essentially links to specific uploaded files, such as a video you want to send to a friend.

How to Create a Torrent

Install qBitTorrent on your PC or Mac. Then, copy a tracker URL. Select the file you'd like to convert into a torrent and start seeding it. Enter your copied tracker and select the "create torrent" button to generate the file.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Install qBitTorrent

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1
Open the qBitTorrent website. Go to https://www.qbittorrent.org/download in your computer's web browser.
- While most torrent applications will allow you to create a torrent, qBitTorrent is the only ad-free torrent client which is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.^{[1]
  X
  Research source}
2
Select a download link. Depending on your operating system, click one of the following options:
- Windows — Click 64-bit installer to the right of the "Mirror link" heading in the Windows section.
- Mac — Click DMG to the right of the "Mirror link" heading in the Mac section.
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This will open the file.
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Install qBitTorrent.^{[2]
X
Expert Source

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Interview. 31 July 2019.} Depending on your computer's operating system, do the following:
- Windows — Click Yes when prompted, then follow the on-screen installation prompts.
- Mac — Drag the qBitTorrent app icon onto the "Applications" folder shortcut, then follow any on-screen instructions. You may need to verify the download before qBitTorrent will install.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Copy Trackers

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Go to https://www.torrenttrackerlist.com/torrent-tracker-list/ in your computer's web browser.
It's under the "Torrent Tracker List" heading near the top of the page.
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Select ONE URL in the list. Click and drag your mouse cursor across a URL in the list to select. You can release the mouse button once you reach the end line.
Press Ctrl+C (Windows) or ⌘ Command+C (Mac) to do so.^{[3]
X
Research source} At this point, you're ready to begin creating your torrent.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Create the Torrent

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1
Open qBitTorrent. Click or double-click the qBitTorrent app icon, which resembles a "qb" on a blue background.
- You may need to click I Agree before qBitTorrent will open.
It's at the top of the qBitTorrent window (Windows) or the screen (Mac). A drop-down menu will appear.
You'll see this in the drop-down menu. Doing so opens the Torrent Creator window.
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Click Select file. It's near the top of the page. A pop-up window will appear.
- If you want to create a torrent using an entire folder, click Select folder here instead.
Go to the folder location of the file (or folder) you want to use, click once the file or folder, and click Open or Choose.
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Check the "Start seeding immediately" box. This will ensure that you are uploading the torrent's files, meaning that someone else will be able to download them.
- Failing to seed your torrent's files will result in a dead torrent.
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Enter your copied tracker URLs. Click the "Tracker URLs" text box in the "Fields" section of the menu, then press Ctrl+V (Windows) or ⌘ Command+V (Mac) to paste in the URLs you copied earlier.
- Many of the trackers in this list won't work, which is why you're copying and pasting all of them into the URL text box instead of just selecting one.
It's at the bottom of the window. A pop-up window will appear.
Click the folder in which you want to save your created torrent file.
It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will save your file and begin seeding the torrent, meaning that the torrent is now available for download.
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Send the torrent to a friend. For someone to download your torrent's files, they'll just need to double-click the torrent to open it in their default torrent application and then confirm the torrent's files' download location.^{[4]
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Research source}
- As long as you're seeding the torrent, your friend should be able to download the torrent with no trouble.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How can I avoid getting a virus when torrenting?

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

Luigi Oppido

Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Answer

Make sure you have a good, solid antivirus and anti-spyware program, something that will scan and make sure that the torrent is okay before it actually gets put into your file system.

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Question

After creating a torrent, can I delete the files used to create it?

kresten Sckerl

Community Answer

Only if you have someone else seeding your file, otherwise it will be useless.

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Question

How can I make a torrent folder?

Community Answer

By clicking Create New Torrent and then instead of Add File, click Add Folder.

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Tips

When using torrents, make sure to first download a trustworthy antivirus program to protect your computer from any harmful downloads.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Interview. 31 July 2019.}

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The more seeds a file has, the quicker it will download.

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If you want to install qBitTorrent on Linux, just type in sudo apt-get install qbittorrent and enter your password when prompted.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Consider using a VPN to hide your IP address when you're downloading and seeding torrents, especially if you're doing anything with copyrighted material.
QBittorrent is the only ad-free and cross-platform torrent client. There are other options out there if you don't mind seeing the occasional ad, though!

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Warnings

Avoid using torrents to upload copyrighted or illegal content. Doing so can get your IP address blacklisted by your torrenting service, or—in extreme cases—your address may be reported to authorities.^{[6]
X
Expert Source

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Interview. 31 July 2019.}

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