HTML

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" />
    <link
      rel="icon"
      href="data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22 viewBox=%220 0 100 100%22><text y=%22.9em%22 font-size=%2290%22>📂</text></svg>"
    />
    <title>How to open one or multiple files</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>How to open one or multiple files</h1>
    <button type="button">Open file</button>
    <button class="multiple" type="button">Open files</button>
    <pre></pre>
  </body>
</html>

CSS


        :root {
  color-scheme: dark light;
}

html {
  box-sizing: border-box;
}

*,
*:before,
*:after {
  box-sizing: inherit;
}

body {
  margin: 1rem;
  font-family: system-ui, sans-serif;
}

button {
  margin: 1rem;
}

JS


        const button = document.querySelector('button');
const buttonMultiple = document.querySelector('button.multiple');
const pre = document.querySelector('pre');

const openFileOrFiles = async (multiple = false) => {
  // Feature detection. The API needs to be supported
  // and the app not run in an iframe.
  const supportsFileSystemAccess =
    "showOpenFilePicker" in window &&
    (() => {
      try {
        return window.self === window.top;
      } catch {
        return false;
      }
    })();

  // If the File System Access API is supported…
  if (supportsFileSystemAccess) {
    let fileOrFiles = undefined;
    try {
      // Show the file picker, optionally allowing multiple files.
      fileOrFiles = await showOpenFilePicker({ multiple });
      if (!multiple) {
        // Only one file is requested.
        fileOrFiles = fileOrFiles[0];
      }
    } catch (err) {
      // Fail silently if the user has simply canceled the dialog.
      if (err.name !== 'AbortError') {
        console.error(err.name, err.message);
      }
    }
    return fileOrFiles;
  }
  // Fallback if the File System Access API is not supported.
  return new Promise((resolve) => {
    // Append a new `` and hide it.
    const input = document.createElement('input');
    input.style.display = 'none';
    input.type = 'file';
    document.body.append(input);
    if (multiple) {
      input.multiple = true;
    }
    // The `change` event fires when the user interacts with the dialog.
    input.addEventListener('change', () => {
      // Remove the `` again from the DOM.
      input.remove();
      // If no files were selected, return.
      if (!input.files) {
        return;
      }
      // Return all files or just one file.
      resolve(multiple ? input.files : input.files[0]);
    });
    // Show the picker.
    if ('showPicker' in HTMLInputElement.prototype) {
      input.showPicker();
    } else {
      input.click();
    }
  });
};

button.addEventListener('click', async () => {
  const file = await openFileOrFiles();
  if (!file) {
    return;
  }
  pre.textContent += `${file.name}\n`;
});

buttonMultiple.addEventListener('click', async () => {
  const files = await openFileOrFiles(true);
  if (!files) {
    return;
  }
  Array.from(files).forEach((file) => (pre.textContent += `${file.name}\n`));
});