The plugin is a bridge between WordPress and your cloud storage, not a sync tool. Your files stay in your cloud account at all times. The plugin reads and writes via the cloud provider's API; it doesn't copy files to your WordPress server or maintain a local mirror.
How the bridge works in practice
- Viewing files: the plugin requests file metadata (names, sizes, dates) from the cloud API and renders modules from that. The files themselves stream directly from the cloud to the visitor's browser.
- Uploading files: visitors who upload through the Upload Box module send files directly to your linked cloud account, with a few exceptions for very large files or providers without direct-upload support. See How do I increase the upload limit?
- Managing files: actions like rename, delete, or move are sent to the cloud API. The file changes happen in the cloud, not locally.
What this means for you
- If you delete a file in your cloud account (via the cloud's own web interface, mobile app, or desktop sync client), it disappears from the plugin too. No re-sync needed.
- If you delete a file via the plugin, it's deleted in the cloud account.
- Your WordPress server is not a backup. Files aren't copied there. For backups, use your cloud provider's built-in versioning or a dedicated backup tool.
What about caching?
The plugin caches lightweight metadata (file IDs, names, modification times) for performance. This isn't a sync, just a cache that gets refreshed when modules reload. The actual files always come from the cloud.