Published: October 8, 2025
Last updated: August 24, 2026
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Sources are the core concept in FileBrowser - each source represents a file system location users can access.

Indexing on each source provides folder sizes used by the UI and by indexed-size storage quotas (v2.1.0+). Sources with indexing disabled only support tracked usage quotas (v2.1.0+). See Storage quotas (v2.1.0+) and Indexing.

Basic Configuration

Single Source

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server:
  sources:
    - path: "/path/to/files" # Do not use a root "/" directory or include the "/var" folder
      config:
        defaultEnabled: true
auth:
  adminUsername: admin

When only one source is configured, source paths will be available at http://your-server/files/path/to/file.

Multiple Sources

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server:
  port: 80
  sources:
    - path: "/path/to/source1" # enabled for all users
      name: "My Files"
      config:
        defaultEnabled: true
    - path: "/path/to/source2" # not default enabled!
      name: "Secured Files"

Common Patterns

Personal user directories

When createUserDir is enabled, each user gets a folder under the source below defaultUserScope, named after their username.

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server:
  sources:
    - path: "/home/users"
      config:
        defaultEnabled: true
        createUserDir: true
        #defaultUserScope: "/" # when createUserDir is false

Shared + Personal

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server:
  sources:
    - path: "/shared/common"
      name: "Shared Files"
      config:
        defaultEnabled: true
    - path: "/shared/users"
      name: "My Files"
      config:
        private: true

Source Configuration Options

path

File system path. Can be relative or absolute. Required.

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server:
  sources:
    - path: "/data/files"

name

Display name for the source. Optional. If not set, uses the base name of the path.

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server:
  sources:
    - path: "/data/files"
      name: "My Files"

defaultEnabled

When true, this source is granted to all users:

  • On user creation (password signup, admin create, and auto-create via OIDC / LDAP / JWT / proxy).
  • On every server startup (v2.0.1+): any user missing this source gets it merged into their scopes. Existing scope paths for sources the user already has are preserved.

Default: false. Use false for sources that should only be assigned manually.

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server:
  sources:
    - path: "/data/shared"
      name: "Shared"
      config:
        defaultEnabled: true
    - path: "/data/restricted"
      name: "Restricted"
      # defaultEnabled: false — assign via admin UI

auth:
  methods:
    oidc:
      enabled: true
      # clientId, clientSecret, issuerUrl, ...
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server:
  sources:
    - path: "/data/files"
      config:
        defaultEnabled: true

defaultUserScope

This is the directory path that a user is given access to by default. This is also the parent directory path used if you enable createUserDir.

For example if the source is /, and you configure defaultUserScope: /users and also enable createUserDir, then a user named graham will have a scope directory created at /users/graham and that will be their root directory.

Defaults to root of index /. Should match folders under path. Used when createUserDir is false.

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server:
  sources:
    - path: "/home/users"
      config:
        defaultUserScope: "/"

createUserDir

Create a user directory for each user under defaultUserScope + /+ username. Default: false.

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server:
  sources:
    - path: "/home/users"
      config:
        defaultEnabled: true
        createUserDir: true
        defaultUserScope: "/"

This creates /home/users/username for each user. For example, a user graham would get a folder created at /home/users/graham and that would be their user scope. They wouldn’t be able to access /home/users/ folder.

denyByDefault

Deny access unless an “allow” access rule was specifically created. Default: false.

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server:
  sources:
    - path: "/data"
      config:
        denyByDefault: true

See Access Rules for more information.

private

Designate source as private — currently just means no sharing permitted. Default: false.

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server:
  sources:
    - path: "/private/data"
      config:
        private: true

disabled

Disable the source. Useful so you don’t need to remove it from the config file. Default: false.

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server:
  sources:
    - path: "/old/data"
      config:
        disabled: true

useLogicalSize

Calculate sizes based on logical size instead of disk utilization (du -sh). Folders will be 0 bytes when empty. Default: false.

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server:
  sources:
    - path: "/data"
      config:
        useLogicalSize: false

rules

List of item rules to apply to specific paths. See Advanced Source Configuration for detailed information on rule options.

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server:
  sources:
    - path: "/data"
      config:
        rules:
          - neverWatchPath: ""
            includeRootItem: ""
            fileStartsWith: ""
            folderStartsWith: ""
            fileEndsWith: ""
            folderEndsWith: ""
            folderPath: ""
            filePath: ""
            fileName: ""
            folderName: ""
            viewable: false
            ignoreHidden: false
            ignoreZeroSizeFolders: false
            ignoreSymlinks: false

Next Steps