The file manager provides a complete interface for managing your server’s files directly from the web panel. Upload, edit, delete, and organize files without needing FTP or SSH access.
Browsing Files List files and directories in any path:
GET /api/client/servers/{server}/files/list?directory=/
{ "object" : "list" , "data" : [ { "object" : "file_object" , "attributes" : { "name" : "server.properties" , "mode" : "0644" , "mode_bits" : "-rw-r--r--" , "size" : 1247 , "is_file" : true , "is_symlink" : false , "mimetype" : "text/plain" , "created_at" : "2025-01-10T08:00:00+00:00" , "modified_at" : "2025-01-15T10:30:00+00:00" } }, { "object" : "file_object" , "attributes" : { "name" : "plugins" , "mode" : "0755" , "mode_bits" : "drwxr-xr-x" , "size" : 4096 , "is_file" : false , "is_symlink" : false , "mimetype" : "inode/directory" , "created_at" : "2025-01-10T08:00:00+00:00" , "modified_at" : "2025-01-12T15:20:00+00:00" } } ] }
File Attributes
name - File or directory namemode - Unix permissions (octal)mode_bits - Human-readable permissionssize - File size in bytesis_file - True if regular fileis_symlink - True if symbolic linkmimetype - Detected MIME typecreated_at - Creation timestampmodified_at - Last modification timestamp
Reading Files View file contents for editing:
GET /api/client/servers/{server}/files/contents?file=/server.properties
#Minecraft server properties server-port =25565 max-players =20 difficulty =normal gamemode =survival motd =Welcome to my server!
Files larger than 5MB (configurable) cannot be edited via the web interface. The size limit is defined by pterodactyl.files.max_edit_size in the panel configuration.
Writing Files Save changes to existing files or create new ones:
POST /api/client/servers/{server}/files/write?file=/server.properties Content-Type: text/plain #Minecraft server properties server-port = 25565 max-players = 30 difficulty = hard gamemode = survival motd = Welcome to my updated server!
Open File Editor
Click on a file in the file manager to open the built-in editor.
Make Changes
Edit the file content. The editor supports syntax highlighting for common formats (JSON, YAML, XML, properties).
Save Changes
Click Save to write changes back to the server. The file is written atomically to prevent corruption.
Creating Directories Create new folders:
POST /api/client/servers/{server}/files/create-folder Content-Type: application/json { "root" : "/", "name" : "backups" }
The directory is created with 0755 permissions by default.
Renaming Files Rename or move files and directories:
PUT /api/client/servers/{server}/files/rename Content-Type: application/json { "root" : "/", "files" : [ { "from" : "old_config.yml", "to" : "config.yml" }, { "from" : "plugins/OldPlugin.jar", "to" : "plugins/NewPlugin.jar" } ] }
You can rename multiple files in a single request. Paths are relative to the root directory.
Copying Files Duplicate a file:
POST /api/client/servers/{server}/files/copy Content-Type: application/json { "location" : "/config/default.yml" }
This creates a copy named default copy.yml in the same directory.
Deleting Files Delete files or directories:
POST /api/client/servers/{server}/files/delete Content-Type: application/json { "root" : "/", "files" : [ "old_logs.txt" , "temp_folder" ] }
Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. Directories are deleted recursively with all contents.
Uploading Files Files can be uploaded through the web interface:
Get Upload URL
Request a signed upload URL: GET /api/client/servers/{server}/files/upload
{ "object" : "signed_url" , "attributes" : { "url" : "https://node.example.com:8080/upload/file?token=eyJ0eX..." } }
Upload File
POST the file to the Wings upload endpoint: POST https://node.example.com:8080/upload/file?token=eyJ0eX... Content-Type: multipart/form-data --boundary Content-Disposition: form-data ; name = "files" ; filename = "plugin.jar" Content-Type: application/java-archive [binary data] --boundary--
Verify Upload
The file appears in the file manager immediately. Check the directory listing to confirm.
Upload Limits
Maximum file size is controlled by Wings configuration
Multiple files can be uploaded simultaneously
Upload tokens expire after 15 minutes
Downloading Files Download files to your computer:
GET /api/client/servers/{server}/files/download?file=/plugins/MyPlugin.jar
{ "object" : "signed_url" , "attributes" : { "url" : "https://node.example.com:8080/download/file?token=eyJ0eX..." } }
The URL is valid for 15 minutes. Open it in your browser or use curl:
curl -O -J "https://node.example.com:8080/download/file?token=eyJ0eX..."
Compressing Files Create archives from multiple files:
POST /api/client/servers/{server}/files/compress Content-Type: application/json { "root" : "/", "files" : [ "world" , "plugins" , "config.yml" ] }
{ "object" : "file_object" , "attributes" : { "name" : "archive-2025-01-15-103045.tar.gz" , "mode" : "0644" , "size" : 45678901 , "is_file" : true } }
The archive is created as a .tar.gz file with a timestamped name.
Decompressing Archives Extract .tar.gz, .zip, or .rar files:
POST /api/client/servers/{server}/files/decompress Content-Type: application/json { "root" : "/", "file" : "backup.tar.gz" }
Files are extracted to the same directory as the archive.
Large archives may take time to extract. The operation is performed in the background.
Changing Permissions Modify Unix file permissions:
POST /api/client/servers/{server}/files/chmod Content-Type: application/json { "root" : "/", "files" : [ { "file" : "start.sh", "mode" : "0755" }, { "file" : "config.yml", "mode" : "0644" } ] }
Common Permission Modes Mode Bits Description 0755rwxr-xr-xExecutable files, directories 0644rw-r--r--Regular files 0600rw-------Private files (configs with passwords) 0777rwxrwxrwxFull permissions (not recommended)
Pulling Remote Files Download files from external URLs directly to your server:
POST /api/client/servers/{server}/files/pull Content-Type: application/json { "url" : "https://example.com/files/plugin.jar", "directory" : "/plugins", "filename" : "MyPlugin.jar", "use_header" : false , "foreground" : true }
Parameters
url - Remote file URL (must be publicly accessible)directory - Destination directory on serverfilename - Optional: override filenameuse_header - Optional: use Content-Disposition header for filenameforeground - Optional: download in foreground (wait for completion)
Only use trusted URLs. Downloaded files are not scanned for malware.
Activity Logging All file operations are logged:
{ "event" : "server:file.write" , "properties" : { "file" : "/server.properties" } } { "event" : "server:file.delete" , "properties" : { "directory" : "/" , "files" : [ "old_logs.txt" ] } } { "event" : "server:file.compress" , "properties" : { "directory" : "/" , "files" : [ "world" , "plugins" ] } }
Best Practices
Always create a backup or copy of important files before editing them, especially configuration files.
Don’t use 0777 unless absolutely necessary. Stick to 0755 for executables and 0644 for regular files.
Keep server files organized in directories. Use descriptive names for custom configs and scripts.
Large files (>5MB) can’t be edited in the web interface. Use SFTP for big files.
Troubleshooting
Files over 5MB cannot be edited via the web interface. Use SFTP or increase the limit in panel configuration: 'files' => [ 'max_edit_size' => 1024 * 1024 * 10 , // 10MB ],
Ensure you have the file.update or file.create permissions. Check that the Wings user has write access to the server directory.
Check file size limits in Wings config
Ensure upload token hasn’t expired
Verify sufficient disk space
Check Wings logs for errors
