Why does VirusTotal give different results based on upload method?

VirusTotal's differing results for the same file can be attributed to several factors. When you upload a file directly versus providing a URL, VirusTotal treats them differently. When you provide a URL, VirusTotal downloads the file from that URL and scans it. This process may yield different results due to various factors such as the file being dynamically generated or modified during download. On the other hand, when you upload a file directly or search by its hash, VirusTotal scans the exact file you provided.