🗂️Core Concepts

Understand the key principles behind Stow’s simple, URL-first file storage.

Stow is designed to make file storage invisible and effortless for developers. Here are the key ideas to understand before you start.

Files as first-class objects

With Stow, files are treated as the main unit — no need to think about buckets or folders unless you want to. Upload a file, and you immediately get back a URL to use anywhere.

No buckets or folders by default

You don’t have to create or manage storage containers. Stow abstracts away all infrastructure so you can focus on building, not on managing storage layers.

Optional directories

If you want to logically group or organize files (e.g., avatars/, invoices/), you can specify a directory when uploading. The directory simply becomes part of the generated URL, but Stow still manages everything under the hood.

Public URLs by default

By default, uploaded files are accessible via their returned URLs immediately — perfect for serving images, documents, or public assets. If needed, you can generate signed URLs for restricted, time-limited access.

Tenant-level isolation

Every Stow account operates as its own isolated tenant. Your files, settings, domains, and team permissions are completely separate and secure.

Simple, URL-first approach

The core philosophy is: "Upload → get URL → done." You don't have to worry about complicated server-side logic or storage infrastructure.

Tip: You can always integrate Stow with other Fleet services (like Clearance for auth or BlackBox for logging) for extra control and security.

Once you understand these core concepts, you’re ready to start uploading and serving files effortlessly 🚀.