Private Connections vs Administrator-Shared Storage Connections
This article distinguishes user-owned private connections from administrator-created shared connections, including ownership, credential isolation, publication, and who may edit each type.
What you need to know
- My Private Storage requires Max/All Access and supports user-owned FTP, SFTP, Google Drive, and OneDrive connections. Local storage remains administrator-created only.
- Private connection ownership is enforced server-side. Private connections cannot be inserted into administrator shared Workspaces even if request/database values are manipulated.
Compare the two connection types
| Boundary | Shared vs private |
|---|---|
| Created by | Shared: administrator in Storage Connections. Private: individual eligible user in My Private Storage. |
| Credentials | Shared: administrator-managed secret. Private: owner-specific secret/token. |
| Publication | Shared: selected into Workspaces and assigned to Joomla groups. Private: automatically scoped to its owner’s private dashboard. |
| Local provider | Shared Local supported. Private Local intentionally unavailable. |
| Reuse | One shared connection can be reused across multiple Workspaces. A private connection cannot be inserted into administrator shared Workspaces. |
| Deletion | Deleting the QCSB connection relationship does not mean deleting the provider’s files. |
Verify the result
- Test Connection succeeds.
- The displayed/usable root is exactly the intended root and no parent folder is reachable.
- A normal authorized user can perform only the operations intended for that connection/Workspace role.
Important limits and mistakes to avoid
- Never broaden a connection root merely to work around a permission or provider error; fix the actual root/credential/hosting problem.
- Do not copy administrator or another user’s provider credentials into a private connection as a shortcut; private connections are intentionally isolated.
Troubleshooting
- If the provider is unreachable, test the connection in Administrator before troubleshooting the Workspace UI.
- Keep passwords, OAuth secrets/tokens, private keys, and unrestricted private paths out of public screenshots and support posts.
Community Discussion
For practical QCSB workflows and discussion with other Joomla site owners, visit the QC Storage Bridge Community. For private support, bug reports, account-specific entitlement issues, or feature requests, use the QuantaCade support system.