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Last Reviewed: 2021-07-14

Pantheon Filesystem

Introduction

Learn more about Pantheon's Filesystem.

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Files are static content not stored in your database, and usually consist of images, documents, or user uploads. Files are distinct from your site's code, and are excluded from version control via Pantheon's .gitignore files
Filesystem Migration in Progress

Pantheon is migrating sites from Valhalla (Generation 1) to Google Cloud Storage FUSE, or gcsfuse, (Generation 2). New sites created on or after August 3, 2026 use gcsfuse by default. Existing sites are migrated in batches starting September 1, 2026, with completion targeted by the end of 2026. Migrations are managed by Pantheon and require no action for most sites. See known limitations for details on the small number of sites that may be affected.

Files and Application Containers

The Pantheon architecture relies on highly available application containers that are seamlessly integrated with a cloud-based filesystem. This means that your files are not local to the application containers running your site's codebase.

Pantheon refers to filesystem versions as Generations. Valhalla, Pantheon's original filesystem, is Generation 1. Google Cloud Storage FUSE, Pantheon's current filesystem, is Generation 2. Both may be in use across the platform during the migration period described above; the customer-facing experience is the same on either generation.

Your Generation 1 (Valhalla) or Generation 2 (gcsfuse) filesystem creates a symbolic link (symlink) to the files directory in the appropriate location of your docroot:

  • WordPress: wp-content/uploads
  • Drupal: sites/default/files

It is important to note that this directory is not part of the document root and is not directly web-accessible. You must create an additional symbolic link from within the document root if you need to make a path in files accessible from the docroot. Non-standard file locations must be symbolically linked to /files or moved manually.

Access via SFTP

You can connect directly to the filesystem with an SFTP client, such as WinSCP.

  1. Copy your connection information into an SFTP client.

  2. Navigate to the /files directory within the SFTP client.

Pantheon places the files below in your application container because they contain important information:

fusedav_version: shows the version of fusedav being used.

fusedav.conf: is the client configuration file for fusedav. fusedav is software used to mount shared storage (the folder /files) to the application container. This folder is where your content-related files (images, attachments, and other things not stored in version control) are kept. For Drupal sites, there is a symlink to it from sites/default/files. For WordPress sites, there is a symlink from wp-content/uploads.

htpasswd: is used when you want to lock your environment with a username and password. There is a Public button on each environment Dashboard that you can click to add a username and password to your site. This will keep your site hidden while you're working on it.

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