> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/9001/copyparty/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Write-Only Upload Folders

> Configure anonymous upload folders where users can submit files without seeing other uploads

## Overview

Write-only folders let users upload files without being able to browse, download, or see other uploads. This is perfect for:

* Anonymous file submissions
* Homework/assignment collection
* Bug report attachments
* Survey response uploads
* Photo contest entries

## Basic Write-Only Folder

The simplest write-only setup:

```bash theme={null}
python copyparty-sfx.py -v /mnt/uploads:/drop:w
```

* `/mnt/uploads` - Local folder for uploads
* `/drop` - URL path (`http://your-server:3923/drop`)
* `w` - Write-only permission for everyone

Users can upload but **cannot** see any files, including their own.

## Write-Only with Admin Access

<Steps>
  ### Create accounts

  Set up a write-only folder with an admin who can manage uploads:

  ```bash theme={null}
  python copyparty-sfx.py \
    -a admin:secretpass \
    -e2d \
    -v /mnt/uploads:/drop:w:A,admin
  ```

  * `w` - Everyone can upload
  * `A,admin` - User `admin` has full access (read/write/move/delete/admin)
  * `-e2d` - Enable database for upload tracking

  ### Using configuration file

  ```yaml dropbox.conf theme={null}
  [global]
    e2d      # enable upload database
    
  [accounts]
    admin: secretpass
    
  [/drop]
    /mnt/uploads
    accs:
      w: *       # everyone can upload
      A: admin   # admin can do everything
  ```

  Run with:

  ```bash theme={null}
  python copyparty-sfx.py -c dropbox.conf
  ```
</Steps>

## Upload with Secret Links (upget)

Let users upload files and receive a secret download link:

```bash theme={null}
python copyparty-sfx.py -e2dsa \
  -v /mnt/uploads:/drop:wG:c,fk=8
```

* `wG` - Write permission + Upget (upload and get link)
* `fk=8` - Filekey length (8 random characters)
* `-e2dsa` - Required for filekeys

After upload, users receive a link like:

```
http://your-server:3923/drop/photo.jpg?k=Xa9mK2pQ
```

Only someone with this exact link can download the file.

## Upload Rules and Limits

### File Size Limits

```yaml theme={null}
[/drop]
  /mnt/uploads
  accs:
    w: *
  flags:
    sz: 100k-50m    # files between 100KB and 50MB only
    df: 10g         # keep at least 10GB free disk space
    vmaxb: 100g     # total volume cannot exceed 100GB
    vmaxn: 10000    # maximum 10,000 files in volume
```

### Rate Limiting (per-IP)

```yaml theme={null}
[/drop]
  /mnt/uploads
  accs:
    w: *
  flags:
    maxn: 50,3600   # max 50 files per hour per IP
    maxb: 500m,3600 # max 500MB per hour per IP
```

### File Lifetime (auto-delete)

Automatically delete files after a certain time:

```yaml theme={null}
[/drop]
  /mnt/uploads
  accs:
    w: *
  flags:
    lifetime: 604800  # delete files after 7 days (seconds)
```

Users can also set custom expiration times in the upload UI (if enabled).

### Restrict to Top-Level Uploads

Prevent users from creating subdirectories:

```yaml theme={null}
[/drop]
  /mnt/uploads
  accs:
    w: *
  flags:
    nosub    # uploads must go to root folder only
```

## Organizing Uploads

### Automatic Folder Organization by Date

Organize uploads into date-based folders:

```yaml theme={null}
[/drop]
  /mnt/uploads
  accs:
    w: *
  flags:
    rotf: %Y/%m/%d           # organize as 2024/03/15/
    rotf_tz: America/New_York # set timezone (default UTC)
```

Uploads automatically go into folders like:

```
/mnt/uploads/2024/03/15/photo.jpg
```

### Automatic Folder Organization by Count

Create subfolders after a certain number of files:

```yaml theme={null}
[/drop]
  /mnt/uploads
  accs:
    w: *
  flags:
    nosub          # users can't pick subfolder
    rotn: 1000,2   # 1000 files per folder, 2 levels deep
```

Creates folders like:

```
/mnt/uploads/0/0/file001.jpg
/mnt/uploads/0/0/file002.jpg
...
/mnt/uploads/0/1/file1001.jpg
```

## Preventing Duplicate Uploads

```bash theme={null}
python copyparty-sfx.py -e2dsa --dedup \
  -v /mnt/uploads:/drop:w
```

* `-e2dsa` - Index all files
* `--dedup` - Create symlinks for duplicate files

If someone uploads a file that already exists, copyparty creates a symlink instead of storing a duplicate copy.

## Allowing Users to Delete Their Own Uploads (Unpost)

```bash theme={null}
python copyparty-sfx.py -e2d --unpost 43200 \
  -v /mnt/uploads:/drop:w
```

* `--unpost 43200` - Allow undoing uploads within 12 hours (43200 seconds)
* Users access via the `[🧯]` unpost tab

Users can delete their own recent uploads even without delete permission.

## Write-Only with Move Access

Let one user upload, another user review and move approved files:

```yaml theme={null}
[accounts]
  student: pass1
  teacher: pass2

[/submissions]
  /mnt/submissions
  accs:
    w: student     # students can upload only
    rm: teacher    # teacher can read and move files
    
[/approved]
  /mnt/approved
  accs:
    w: teacher     # teacher can move files here
    r: *           # everyone can browse approved submissions
```

Workflow:

1. Students upload to `/submissions`
2. Teacher reviews files
3. Teacher moves approved files to `/approved`
4. Everyone can see approved submissions

## Upload Notifications

### Email Notifications

Use event hooks to send email on upload:

```bash theme={null}
python copyparty-sfx.py -e2d \
  --xau /usr/local/bin/notify-upload.sh \
  -v /mnt/uploads:/drop:w
```

Create `notify-upload.sh`:

```bash theme={null}
#!/bin/bash
FILE="$1"
echo "New upload: $FILE" | mail -s "File uploaded" admin@example.com
```

Make it executable:

```bash theme={null}
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/notify-upload.sh
```

### Desktop Notifications

On Linux, show a popup notification:

```bash theme={null}
python copyparty-sfx.py -e2d \
  --xau notify-send,"New upload",-- \
  -v /mnt/uploads:/drop:w
```

## Advanced: Randomized Filenames

Force random filenames on upload:

```yaml theme={null}
[/drop]
  /mnt/uploads
  accs:
    wG: *    # write + get filekey
  flags:
    fk: 8    # 8-char filekey required
```

In the upload UI, users can enable `[🎲]` to randomize filenames, or make it mandatory with a custom upload hook.

## Complete Example: Anonymous Dropbox

```yaml anonymous-dropbox.conf theme={null}
[global]
  e2dsa              # index files
  dedup              # prevent duplicates  
  unpost: 3600       # allow deletion within 1 hour
  theme: 2           # dark theme

[accounts]
  admin: very-secret-password

[/drop]
  /mnt/dropbox
  accs:
    wG: *            # anyone can upload and get link
    A: admin         # admin has full access
  flags:
    fk: 10           # 10-character filekeys for security
    sz: 1k-100m      # 1KB to 100MB files only
    df: 20g          # keep 20GB free
    vmaxb: 500g      # max 500GB total
    maxn: 100,3600   # 100 files per hour per IP
    maxb: 1g,3600    # 1GB per hour per IP
    lifetime: 2592000 # auto-delete after 30 days
    nosub            # no subdirectories
    rotf: %Y/%m/%d   # organize by date
```

Start the server:

```bash theme={null}
python copyparty-sfx.py -c anonymous-dropbox.conf
```

Features:

* ✅ Anonymous uploads with secret links
* ✅ 1 hour undo window
* ✅ Size and rate limits
* ✅ Auto-delete after 30 days
* ✅ Organized by upload date
* ✅ Duplicate prevention
* ✅ Admin can review everything

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Users can see other uploads">
    Make sure you're using `w` or `wG` permission, NOT `rw` or `r`.

    ```yaml theme={null}
    accs:
      w: *     # correct - write-only
      # rw: *  # wrong - this allows reading!
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Filekeys not working">
    Filekeys require database indexing:

    ```bash theme={null}
    python copyparty-sfx.py -e2dsa -v /mnt/uploads:/drop:wG:c,fk=8
    ```

    The `-e2dsa` is mandatory for filekeys.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Unpost not working">
    Unpost requires `-e2d` and the `--unpost` timeout:

    ```bash theme={null}
    python copyparty-sfx.py -e2d --unpost 43200 -v /mnt/uploads:/drop:w
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Rate limits not enforced">
    Rate limits (`maxn`, `maxb`) require `-j 1` (single process mode):

    ```bash theme={null}
    python copyparty-sfx.py -j 1 -v /mnt/uploads:/drop:w:c,maxn=50,3600
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Users getting banned">
    Check the ban settings:

    ```bash theme={null}
    python copyparty-sfx.py --ban-pw 0 --ban-404 0 -v /mnt/uploads:/drop:w
    ```

    Or increase the thresholds (default is 9 failed attempts in 1 hour).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Security Considerations

<Warning>
  Write-only folders can be abused for:

  * Storing illegal content
  * Malware distribution
  * Phishing attacks

  Mitigate risks:

  * Set file size limits
  * Enable rate limiting
  * Use auto-deletion (lifetime)
  * Monitor uploads regularly
  * Consider requiring accounts instead of anonymous access
</Warning>

## Next Steps

* Set up [file sharing](/guides/file-sharing) with mixed permissions
* Configure [deduplication](/guides/deduplication) to save disk space
* Enable [authentication](/guides/authentication) for better security
* Create a [media server](/guides/media-server) for approved uploads