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

# Local Storage

> Configure local file system storage in Directus for storing files on the server's disk.

The Local storage driver stores files on the server's file system. This is the simplest storage option and is suitable for development, testing, or single-server deployments.

## Installation

The Local driver is included by default with Directus via the `@directus/storage-driver-local` package.

## Configuration

Configure Local storage using environment variables:

```bash theme={null}
# Define storage location
STORAGE_LOCATIONS="local"

# Configure local driver
STORAGE_LOCAL_DRIVER="local"
STORAGE_LOCAL_ROOT="./uploads"
```

### Configuration Options

<ParamField path="root" type="string" required>
  The root directory where files will be stored. Can be absolute or relative to the Directus installation directory.
</ParamField>

## Examples

### Basic Configuration

```bash theme={null}
STORAGE_LOCATIONS="local"
STORAGE_LOCAL_DRIVER="local"
STORAGE_LOCAL_ROOT="./uploads"
```

### Absolute Path

```bash theme={null}
STORAGE_LOCATIONS="local"
STORAGE_LOCAL_DRIVER="local"
STORAGE_LOCAL_ROOT="/var/www/directus/uploads"
```

### Multiple Local Locations

You can configure multiple local storage locations for different purposes:

```bash theme={null}
STORAGE_LOCATIONS="local,archive"

# Primary local storage
STORAGE_LOCAL_DRIVER="local"
STORAGE_LOCAL_ROOT="./uploads"

# Archive storage
STORAGE_ARCHIVE_DRIVER="local"
STORAGE_ARCHIVE_ROOT="./archive"
```

## Features

### Resumable Uploads

The Local driver supports TUS resumable uploads with the following extensions:

* `creation` - Create new uploads
* `termination` - Cancel/delete uploads
* `expiration` - Automatic cleanup of incomplete uploads

### Range Requests

The Local driver supports HTTP range requests for efficient partial file reading:

```typescript theme={null}
// Read specific byte range
await storage.location('local').read('file.mp4', {
  range: { start: 0, end: 1024 }
});
```

## Implementation Details

The Local driver (`DriverLocal` class) from `/packages/storage-driver-local/src/index.ts:14-174`:

* Uses Node.js file system APIs (`fs/promises`)
* Automatically creates directories as needed
* Supports both relative and absolute paths
* All paths are resolved relative to the configured `root`
* Uses streams for efficient memory usage with large files

## Best Practices

### Directory Permissions

Ensure the Directus process has read/write permissions for the configured root directory:

```bash theme={null}
# Create upload directory
mkdir -p ./uploads

# Set appropriate permissions
chmod 755 ./uploads
chown directus:directus ./uploads
```

### Backups

Regularly backup your upload directory:

```bash theme={null}
# Example backup script
tar -czf uploads-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz ./uploads
```

### Production Considerations

For production deployments:

* Use absolute paths for clarity
* Store files outside the Directus installation directory
* Consider using cloud storage for scalability
* Implement proper backup strategies
* Monitor disk space usage

### Multi-Server Deployments

Local storage is not recommended for multi-server deployments because:

* Files are only available on one server
* No automatic synchronization between servers
* Load balancers may route requests to servers without the file

For multi-server setups, use cloud storage drivers like [S3](/storage/s3), [Azure](/storage/azure), or [GCS](/storage/gcs).

## Troubleshooting

### Permission Errors

If you encounter permission errors:

1. Check directory ownership: `ls -la ./uploads`
2. Verify the Directus process user has write access
3. Check SELinux or AppArmor policies if applicable

### Disk Space Issues

Monitor disk space to prevent upload failures:

```bash theme={null}
df -h
```

Consider implementing file size limits and cleanup policies.

## Related

* [Storage Overview](/storage/overview)
* [S3 Storage](/storage/s3)
* [Azure Storage](/storage/azure)