WebDAV: What It Is, Why You Might Need It, and How to Set It Up

Sometimes you need to access files on a remote server as if they were right there on your computer. Maybe you want to back up some documents, upload vacation photos, or just have an easy way to work with files from different places. One of the simplest ways to do this is with WebDAV — a reliable, time-tested protocol that turns your server into a network drive. It works over standard HTTP or HTTPS and is supported on almost every platform out there. Let’s break down what WebDAV is, how it works, and how you can get it running — with examples for Windows, Linux, and mobile.

What Is WebDAV?

WebDAV stands for Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning. It’s a set of extensions to the HTTP protocol that’s been around since the 1990s. The idea is simple: instead of just downloading files from a server, you can also upload, edit, delete, and move them — just like working with a regular folder on your computer.

Think of WebDAV as your personal cloud drive — no third-party apps, no subscriptions. It works directly in your file manager or browser and looks just like a mapped network drive. You can use it on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and even on network storage devices (NAS).

What makes it useful?

— Compatible with services like Nextcloud, Yandex.Disk, and more
— Great for accessing files over a VPN
— Perfect for backups and file sharing
— Widely used in business environments and document management systems

What WebDAV Can Do

WebDAV is a full-fledged remote file management system. Here’s what it supports:

— File locking – prevents others from editing a file while you’re working on it
— Metadata – you can store extra info like author, date, or descriptions
— Folder structure – create, rename, and move folders, just like on your desktop
— Collaboration – multiple users can work with files at the same time
— Any file type – works with all formats, no limitations

WebDAV Commands You Should Know

WebDAV adds several commands to standard HTTP that make remote file handling much easier:
— PROPFIND — retrieves file properties (size, date, structure, etc.)
— PROPPATCH — edits file properties like author or description
— MKCOL — creates a folder (called a "collection")
— COPY — copies a file or folder
— MOVE — moves it
— LOCK / UNLOCK — locks or unlocks a file during editing

These commands make your regular web server behave more like a real file system.

Where WebDAV Works

To use WebDAV, you need two things: a server that understands the protocol, and a client to connect to it. Here’s where it’s supported:

Servers:
— Apache – via the mod_dav module
— Nginx – a bit trickier, but possible with external modules
— IIS (Windows) – has built-in WebDAV support
— Nextcloud/ownCloud – WebDAV access is enabled by default

Clients:
— Windows – connect to WebDAV as a network drive via File Explorer
— macOS – connect through Finder
— Linux – supported in Nautilus, Dolphin, and other file managers
— Mobile – use apps like ES File Explorer (Android) or Documents by Readdle (iOS)

Setting Up a WebDAV Server

One of the easiest ways to get started is to run a WebDAV server using Python. All you need is Python installed and a simple package called wsgidav.

1. Install the package:
pip install wsgidav

Want to keep things clean? Set up a virtual environment first:

python3 -m venv mywebdavenv
source mywebdavenv/bin/activate  # or .\mywebdavenv\Scripts\activate on Windows
pip install wsgidav

2. Create a folder for your files:
mkdir ~/webdav-folder

3. Run the server:
wsgidav --host=0.0.0.0 --port=8080 --root ~/webdav-folder --auth anonymous

Now head over to http://localhost:8080 in your browser — and you’re in.

Connecting to a WebDAV Server

Once the server is up and running, you can connect to it from different systems. Here's how:

On Windows

1. Open File Explorer → right-click on This PC → choose Map network drive

2. Pick a drive letter

3. Enter your server’s address, like:

http://localhost:8080  
https://webdav.example.com/remote.php/dav/files/your_username  

4. Check Connect using different credentials

5. Click Finish and enter your login and password

Done! The drive shows up just like any other folder.

On Linux

There are two main ways to connect: through your file manager or using davfs2.

Option 1: File manager
1. Open Nautilus (or Nemo, Dolphin, etc.)

2. Find Connect to Server

3. Enter one of the following:

— For unencrypted connections: dav://server_address:port
— For secure connections: davs://example.com/remote.php/webdav/

4. Enter your login and password

Option 2: Mount with davfs2
1. Install davfs2:

 sudo apt install davfs2

2. Create a mount point:

 mkdir ~/webdav

3. Add credentials to ~/.davfs2/secrets:

 https://example.com/remote.php/webdav/ your_username your_password

4. Mount the folder:

 mount ~/webdav

5. To mount automatically on startup, add this to /etc/fstab:

 https://example.com/remote.php/webdav/ /home/your_user/webdav davfs user,rw,auto 0 0

6. If you run into locking errors, open /etc/davfs2/davfs2.conf and add:
use_locks 0

WebDAV: Pros and Cons

Pros:
— Works on nearly every platform — Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
— No need for extra apps — native integration in most systems
— Access and edit files on the fly — no need to download them first
— HTTPS support for secure connections
— Free and open protocol — no licenses or subscriptions needed

Cons:
— Not ideal for large files — Windows limits sizes unless tweaked
— Some clients are buggy — certain apps don’t handle WebDAV well
— No fancy interface — no previews, auto-sync, or sharing like Dropbox
— Setup takes some effort — especially if you’re new to networking

WebDAV might not be the flashiest tool around, but it gets the job done. It’s a solid, flexible way to access your server files from anywhere, without giving up control or jumping through hoops. Once you’ve got it set up, it just works — and sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.