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WebDAV and network drives

Map a server as a network drive in Windows, macOS and Linux over WebDAV.

WebDAV lets people open a server like a folder on their computer: Windows Map network drive, macOS Finder Connect to Server and Linux file managers all speak it without extra software. Uploads over WebDAV show up in logs and trigger webhooks like any other upload.

WebDAV is available on every plan. It’s off by default; turn it on in the server’s Settings tab under Protocols. This restarts the server briefly, so open SFTP and FTP sessions are dropped.

The address

Once enabled, the WebDAV address appears on the server’s Overview tab, for example:

https://nbg1.cloudfile.dev:22003/

WebDAV always runs over HTTPS, with a trusted certificate for the host name. It uses its own port from the server’s port block, not 443, so include the port in the address. With a dedicated IP or a custom domain the host name changes, but the WebDAV port stays the same.

Log in with an SFTP user’s username and password. Users set to SSH key only can’t use WebDAV, because it has no key login. Each user sees their own home folder, with the same permissions and quota as over SFTP.

Windows

  1. In File Explorer, right-click This PC and choose Map network drive.
  2. Pick a drive letter and paste the address as Folder.
  3. Tick Connect using different credentials, click Finish, then enter the username and password.

Windows needs HTTPS for WebDAV with password login, which every server provides.

By default the Windows WebDAV client refuses files over 50 MB. To raise the limit to 4 GB, run this in an administrator command prompt and restart the computer (or the WebClient service):

reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WebClient\Parameters /v FileSizeLimitInBytes /t REG_DWORD /d 4294967295 /f

macOS

  1. In Finder, choose Go → Connect to Server (⌘K).
  2. Paste the address and click Connect.
  3. Choose Registered User and enter the username and password.

The server appears under Locations in the Finder sidebar.

Linux

In GNOME Files (Nautilus), open Other Locations and enter the address with davs:// instead of https://:

davs://nbg1.cloudfile.dev:22003/

To mount it from the command line, use davfs2:

sudo apt install davfs2
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/files
sudo mount -t davfs https://nbg1.cloudfile.dev:22003/ /mnt/files

Other clients

Cyberduck, Mountain Duck, rclone and WinSCP also support WebDAV. For scripted transfers, SFTP is usually faster and more reliable.

Logs and webhooks

Finder and File Explorer do more than copy a file: they create an empty placeholder first, write metadata files (.DS_Store, ._name, Thumbs.db, desktop.ini) and read files back for previews. CloudFile leaves those files in place but keeps them, and the empty placeholders, out of the logs and webhooks, so one copied file produces one upload event. Previews still show up as downloads. A file that really is empty, uploaded over WebDAV, isn’t reported.

Troubleshooting

  • Connection refused: check that WebDAV is enabled for the server and that the address includes the WebDAV port.
  • The password is rejected: the user may be set to SSH key only, or disabled.
  • Windows: “The file size exceeds the limit allowed”: raise FileSizeLimitInBytes as shown above.