WebDAV File Manager Setup & Use Guide

This guide is for users who installed the WebDAV File Manager via the BigCommerce App Store and may contain screenshots and instructions which vary if you're accessing and using it via Your Store Tools. Instructions for that version can be found here.

Overview

The WebDAV File Manager allows store owners to easily manage files within their BigCommerce store without the use of a separate WebDAV client.

We provide two separate tools as part of the WebDAV File manager:

  • The Media Manager allows you to upload images, PDFs, audio files, etc into your BigCommerce web hosting
  • The File Library is a full-featured file browser that gives you complete access to all libraries and files in your web hosting

Both tools offer an easy-to-use web-based interface to manage files without the use of a WebDAV client.

In order to use the WebDAV File Manager tool, you must have WebDAV access enabled in your BigCommerce store.

Article Contents

This support article contains several sections which can be accessed quickly by clicking the appropriate link below:

Enabling WebDAV Access in BigCommerce

To enable WebDAV access in your BigCommerce store, complete the following steps:
  1. Log in to your BigCommerce control panel and go to Settings > Advanced > File Access (WebDAV)

  1. If you have previously granted access to WebDAV to the logged-in user, a screen will be displayed with the following information:
    1. WebDAV Path
    2. WebDAV Server Type
    3. WebDAV Username
    4. WebDAV Password

  1. If you have not granted access to WebDAV to the logged-in user, please complete these steps:
    1. Go to Account Settings > Users
    2. Find the user you want to grant WebDAV access to and under the "..." select, Edit
    3. Under WebDAV, click the Yes, allow this user to use WebDAV box
    4. A password will automatically be created for the user with the ability to copy it to your clipboard
    5. The WebDAV path will also be displayed which is typically, https://yourdomain.com/dav

The WebDAV file manager will require the following information from your store:

  • WebDAV Path
  • WebDAV Username
  • WebDAV Password

So please have that information available for the next step.

To install the WebDAV File Manager, please make sure you are logged in to your BigCommerce store as the "Store Owner" as that is the only account that has permission to install apps from the app store.


Once the app was loaded to your store, click on Install from the app welcome screen:

Review the information, then click Confirm

You will now begin the process to connect your store to the WebDAV File Manager by entering the following information:
  • WebDAV Path
  • WebDAV Username (this is the BigCommerce username that has access to WebDAV)
  • WebDAV Password
  • Use CDN URL - by default, it is set to use files pulled via BigCommerce's CDN which offers image/file caching as opposed to WebDAV pulled files that do not.
    • An example of a URL from the CDN: https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-giequ5xl7r/content/yst-media/1/filename.png
    • An example of a URL from WebDAV: https://yourstore.com/content/yst-media/1/filename.png

Once entered, click Submit to enter your payment information and click on Complete Payment.

These settings can also be accessed by clicking on WebDAV Settings from apps main navigation bar.

Using the Media Manager

To use the WebDAV File Manager's Media Manager, simply open the app, or if you're already in the app, click on Dashboard to open the Media Manager window.

Please note: Files uploaded to this location are stored in a separate directory created by the WebDAV File Manager. The path is /webdav/content/yst-media/ which can be browsed by using our File Library tool.

From the main Media Manager screen you can:

Uploading Files Using the Media Manager

To upload a file using the WebDAV File Manager Media Manager, simply browse or drag & drop the files you want to upload to the upload area.

Please note: Files uploaded to this location are stored in a separate directory created by the WebDAV File Manager. The path is /webdav/content/yst-media/ which can be browsed by using our File Library tool.

Viewing File Information Using the Media Manager

To view information about a file stored using the Media Manager, simply locate or search for the specific file and click on it. In the right-hand pane, the following information will be displayed:

  • File name
  • File size
  • BigCommerce user who uploaded the file
  • Date and time the file was uploaded

You can also take the following actions:

  • Edit allows you to enter a caption for the image as well as ALT-tags which are used if you choose to embed the file. If no information is entered, the file name is used for caption and ALT.
  • Move Media To allows you to move the selected file from the current directory (shown) to a new directory chosen from the drop-down.

  • View will open the file in a separate window or tab.
  • Delete will delete the image from the media library.
  • Replace Media replaces the existing file with a new one while keeping the same file name. (This feature is currently disabled for all users pending a future update.)
  • Embed & Sharing Options allows you to embed the file into a webpage or share it in other places. Additional options include:
    • Select Size to choose which size of the image you want to embed or share
    • Link which can be copied and pasted
    • Embed code which can be copied and pasted with additional options to:
      • include a link to the original media file
      • open the link in a new tab/window
      • convert to a text link
      • lazy load the image to reduce load time

Creating a New Folder/Directory

To better organize your files, you can create folders/directories by clicking + which expands to say "Create Folder"


To create a new folder/directory click the Create Folder button, enter the name for your folder and click Create.

Using the File Library

Each BigCommerce store comes with a web hosting environment that is accessible via WebDAV. Prior to the release of our WebDAV File Manager tool, having access to the files stored in web hosting required the use of a WebDAV client installed locally on a user's computer.
By using our WebDAV File Manager tool, files can be managed with an easy-to-use web interface through any web browser.
To access the WebDAV File Manager's File Library select File Library from the menu:

Upon initial load, the File Library defaults to the root, or /webdav/ directory of your BigCommerce Store. You can navigate through the various directories by using the familiar file explorer-type interface.

Helpful Tips Regarding Default Directories:

  • /content/ is where you'll find the directory which hosts the files you uploaded using the Media Manager tool. By default, all files uploaded using this tool can be found in /content/yst-media/
  • /exports/ is where you'll find any export files you created using the built-in BigCommerce export tools such as product export or category export. They are automatically saved to this directory when the option to "Save on Server" is selected as part of the export process.
  • /import_files/ is where you'll find files that were imported using the BigCommerce API.
  • /product_images/ is where you'll find images for your items that were added during the item creation process. As part of the Your Store Tools suite, a free product image download tool is available to download product images as a ZIP file.

File Library Functions

There are various functions you can do within the File Library by using the toolbar located at the top of the file explorer:

Depending on the file type and or current action, the following functions (left to right) may be available:

  • Navigate Backward
  • Navigate Forward
  • Refresh
  • Create New File
  • Create New Directory
  • Upload File
  • Delete File
  • Copy a File
  • Cut a File
  • Paste a File
  • Show or Hide Hidden Files

You can also customize the view of files by choosing either list format or thumbnail. Additionally, you can choose to have the File Library load full screen.

Right-clicking on a file will bring up a quick menu of common functions:

The Edit function can be used to edit text, CSS, HTML, and javascript files using the built-in editor:

End of document.

Still need help? Contact Us Contact Us