Representing Folders on Object Storage

Some cloud storage platforms, particularly object- and blob-based storage systems, do not support true directories. This creates challenges for applications that expect consistent folder behavior. Files.com addresses this by using slash files to represent directories, ensuring predictable folder listings and compatibility across all supported remote storage types. This design allows Files.com to present a consistent file and folder experience to users, even when the underlying storage platform does not natively support directories.

A slash file is an empty object that ends with a slash, for example:

documents/
archive/2025/

These objects ensure that folders appear and behave like folders even when the underlying storage does not support them.

Why Slash Files Are Necessary

Slash files ensure predictable directory behavior in environments where no real directories exist. They allow Files.com to:

• Display empty folders consistently.
• Guarantee that folder operations (creation, listing, deletion) behave like traditional file systems.
• Support recursive operations and metadata queries reliably.
• Match hierarchical expectations of users, automations, and third-party tools.

Without slash files, directory behavior varies widely across providers. Some tools infer directories (implict directories) only when children exist. Others omit them entirely unless an explicit placeholder (explicit directory) exists. Slash files eliminate this ambiguity.

Object storage vendors do not create or enforce slash files. This directory-placeholder system exists because client tools (Files.com platform, Rclone, AWS CLI, SDKs, backup tools, etc.) have informally agreed on a consistent way to simulate folders. Files.com follows this industry practice to ensure compatibility and predictable behavior across all supported Remote Servers.

Cloud Storage Remote Servers

Slash files apply only to object storage based Remote Servers that do not support native directories.

If your Remote Server supports directories natively, Files.com does not create slash files.

Remote Servers That Support Directories Natively

These types of remote server support directories/folders natively, either via its native underlying filesystem or via its application database:

• Box (via its database)
• Dropbox (via its database)
• FTP
• Google Drive (via its database)
• Microsoft Azure Files
• Microsoft OneDrive (via its database)
• Microsoft SharePoint (via its database)
• SFTP
• WebDAV

Remote Servers That Files.com Creates Slash Files On

To simulate folder structures, and empty folders, Files.com creates slash files on the following types of remote server:

• Amazon S3
• Google Cloud Storage
• Microsoft Azure Blob

Remote Servers That Support Slash Files

These types of remote server emulate support for directories/folders, either implicitly or explicitly using slash files or other placeholders:

• Akamai Linode supports implicit directories and slash files as explicit placeholders.
• Amazon S3 supports implicit directories and slash files as explicit placeholders.
• Backblaze supports implicit directories, slash files, and explicit placeholders named .bzEmpty.
• Cloudflare R2 supports implicit directories and slash files as explicit placeholders.
• Filebase supports implicit directories and slash files as explicit placeholders.
• Google Cloud Storage supports implicit directories and slash files as explicit placeholders.
• Microsoft Azure Blob supports implicit directories and slash files as explicit placeholders.
• Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage supports implicit directories, slash files, and explicit placeholders named .tt_keep.

How Files.com Manages Slash Files

Files.com manages slash files automatically. You do not create or modify these objects yourself. Files.com generates these placeholders so folders behave predictably during listing, syncing, metadata operations, and automation.

Folders you create on Files.com map cleanly to directory placeholders on object storage systems that lack directory support.

You will see slash files in your Remote Server’s bucket whenever Files.com needs to represent a directory explicitly. These objects take almost no storage space and do not affect performance.

Deleting a slash file object from the Remote Server does not delete the folder in Files.com. However, removing it may cause inconsistencies in third-party tools that rely on explicit directory placeholders.

Creating a Folder on Files.com Creates a Slash File

When you create a folder on a Remote Server that lacks native directory support, Files.com creates a slash file named with the folder path ending in a slash. This ensures the folder appears immediately even if it is empty.

For example, creating a folder named Reports results in a slash file named Reports/ being created in storage.

Accessing Folder Contents on Files.com Creates a Slash File

When Files.com retrieves metadata for an object inside a folder, Files.com checks whether the folder’s slash file exists. If the placeholder is missing, Files.com creates it before completing the metadata operation.

For example, if Files.com accesses Reports/2025/file.txt and no slash file named Reports/2025/ exists, Files.com creates it to keep the folder structure intact.

Examples

Here are some examples of cases where slash files are created by Files.com.

An Empty Folder Created by a User

A user creates a folder named invoices on a Remote Server. Files.com creates an empty objected named invoices/ on the remote storage. The folder appears immediately in all folder listings, even before any files are added.

Syncing or Listing a Deep Directory

Files.com lists the contents of projects/2025/assets/ and finds files inside it. If no Slash File exists for the directory, Files.com creates projects/2025/assets/ so that the folder appears reliably in all tools.

How Directory Simulation Works in Object Storage

Files.com supports both implicit and explicit directory simulation methods. Explicit directory placeholders, by using slash files, is the default preferred method but we will fall back to the implicit method when explicit slash files are not present. Files.com will create slash files when needed.

Implicit Directories

Most object-based storage systems allow clients to imply directory structure by including slashes in object names. For example:

parentFolder/file.txt

This name does not create a directory called parentFolder. It is simply an object whose key contains a slash. Many tools infer folder structure when they see a sequence of object names that share a prefix.

Explicit Directory Placeholders (Slash Files)

Explicit placeholders create directories that exist independently of the files inside them. Tools achieve this by uploading an empty object that ends with a slash:

parentFolder/

This object signals that “parentFolder” is a directory, even if it contains no files.

Object storage providers do not create these placeholders. Clients create them to ensure predictable directory behavior across storage systems that do not support real folders.