How to connect a WebDAV server to file.rocks

Lots of servers already speak WebDAV, from a NAS to a Nextcloud install. file.rocks can connect to one, so its files show up next to your other buckets.

You fill in one form, and file.rocks tests the connection before it saves anything.

1. Before you start

The connection runs from file.rocks servers, so your WebDAV server has to be reachable from the internet.

Have these ready before you open the form:

• Your server's address, or its full WebDAV URL
• A username
• That user's password

2. Open the bucket form

Go to Settings, then Buckets, and click Add Bucket. If you don't have any buckets yet, the button reads Create your first bucket.

The Create Bucket window opens. Under Storage Type, pick Bring Your Own.

Open Provider and choose WebDAV. The form switches to fields for your server.

3. Fill in the connection details

Host

Host takes either a bare address, like files.example.com, or a full URL that starts with https:// or http://. If your WebDAV folder lives under a path on the server, paste the full URL with that path in it.

Use HTTPS and Port

Use HTTPS starts out on. When Host is a bare address, this switch decides whether file.rocks connects over https or plain http.

Port shows 443 as a hint, but the box itself is empty. If you leave it blank, file.rocks uses the standard port: 443 with Use HTTPS on, and 80 with it off. The hint still says 443 when the switch is off, so ignore it in that case.

If Host is a full URL, the URL wins. Use HTTPS and Port don't apply. So if your server isn't on the standard port, put the port inside the URL itself, like https://cloud.example.com:8443.

Username and Password

Username and Password are the WebDAV account file.rocks signs in as. There's no key field for WebDAV.

file.rocks encrypts the password before it stores it.

Root path

Root path is the folder that becomes the top of the bucket in file.rocks. It starts as /.

The account you entered has to be able to open that folder, because the connection test lists it.

Nickname and Internal name

Nickname is the name you'll see in file.rocks, like "Home NAS". Internal name is a short ID for the bucket, like nas-home.

If you leave either one blank, file.rocks uses the host instead.

4. Save and test the connection

Click Save Bucket. Before it saves anything, file.rocks connects to your server and lists the Root path.

If that works, the window closes and the new bucket shows up in your Buckets list. It also becomes the bucket you have open.

If it doesn't work, nothing is saved, but you won't see an error message, and Save Bucket keeps loading. Reload the page, check these, then add the bucket again:

• Your server is reachable from the internet.
• Host is right. If it's a full URL, check that it starts with the right https:// or http:// and includes the port.
• With a bare host, Use HTTPS matches your server, and Port is filled in if you don't use the standard one.
• The Username and Password are right.
• The Root path exists, and that user can open it.

5. What's different from an S3 bucket

With an S3 bucket, your browser uploads files straight to storage. With WebDAV, uploads go through file.rocks servers, and each file can be 32 MB at most. A bigger file gets turned away.

Downloads and previews come through file.rocks servers too.

If you have big files or plan to sync a lot, S3-compatible storage is a better home for them. Cheapest cloud object storage compares the options. The guides for Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, Wasabi and MinIO walk through each one.

Sync still works. A WebDAV bucket shows up in sync like any other bucket, and how to sync files between your own buckets covers the setup.

Importing a file from a link or torrent needs an S3-compatible bucket, so it won't work on a WebDAV bucket.

On the Usage page, Est. storage / mo shows a dash for a WebDAV bucket. file.rocks has no price list for your own server.

6. Upload a file

Open Files and drop something in. If it shows up, you're connected. Keep the 32 MB limit in mind while you test.

For more on uploading, see how to upload files to your own bucket. If your server speaks SFTP instead, the SFTP guide covers that form.

Your files stay in the bucket you connected, and file.rocks is how you manage them.