Use case

Exchange files with clients and suppliers, without email attachments

One login and one private folder per partner, with a notification on every upload.

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The problem. Sound familiar?

  • Large files bounce off email limits, and shared-drive links end up everywhere.

  • Running your own SFTP server means patching a VM, managing users by hand and hoping nobody sees another partner's files.

  • Nobody knows a file arrived until someone goes and looks.

How it works with CloudFile, in about a minute.

  1. Step 1

    Create a server

    Pick an EU region. Your SFTP endpoint is live in seconds.

    partners ● running nbg1.cloudfile.dev:22000
  2. Step 2

    Add one user per partner

    Each partner gets a password or SSH key and is locked into their own folder.

    acme globex initech → /home/<partner>
  3. Step 3

    Get told when files land

    Send an email to your team or a webhook to your system on every upload.

    upload acme /invoices/2026-10.pdf ✉ ops@

What you get, and nothing you have to run.

  • Isolated folders

    Partners only ever see their own home folder, with read, write or delete permissions you choose.

  • Passwords or SSH keys

    Whatever your partner's IT team prefers. Generate strong passwords or paste any number of public keys.

  • Email and webhooks

    Notify a person or trigger a process on upload, download, rename or delete, filtered by user or path.

  • Shared folders

    One folder several users work in, such as /shared/inbox, with Can edit, Can view or Upload only per member.

  • Quotas per partner

    Cap the storage each partner can use so one bulk export can't fill the server.

  • Hosted in the EU

    Servers and storage in Germany, with GDPR covered.

Questions about this setup.

Do my partners need special software?

No. Any SFTP or FTP client works: FileZilla, WinSCP, Cyberduck, the built-in sftp command, or their own systems.

Can a partner see other partners' files?

No. Every user is locked into their own home folder and can't navigate outside it.

Can I send files to partners too?

Yes. Upload files into a partner's folder from the web file manager or any client, and they download them over SFTP.

Can an agency upload without seeing what others sent?

Yes. Give them the Upload only preset: they can upload and create folders, but can't download, overwrite or delete. In a shared folder, give them the Upload only role so they drop files into /shared/inbox while your team works on them with Can edit.

How many partners can I add?

Starter includes 10 users per server. Pro and Business have unlimited users.

More in the docs: Users, permissions and shared folders · Connecting with a client · Webhooks and email

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