You can move an ownCloud installation from the domain root to a path such as https://example.com/cloud without rebuilding it. The safe method is to change the web-server route and ownCloud URL settings as one change, keep the data directory protected, and test everything in maintenance mode before reopening the service.
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The filesystem location and public URL are separate. A directory such as /var/www/owncloud can remain where it is while Apache or a reverse proxy publishes it at /cloud. If you are also changing servers, back up the database and copy apps, config, and data with timestamps preserved.
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What changes when ownCloud moves under /cloud?
ownCloud generates links, WebDAV endpoints, redirects, browser requests and synchronization URLs from the URL it believes is its web root. Moving only the files or only the web-server route therefore produces a partly working installation: the login page may load while redirects point to /, WebDAV points to the old location, or clients receive 404 responses.
A working move has four coordinated pieces:
- Web-server routing: the public path, such as
/cloud/, must map to the ownCloud application directory. - Host security: the hostname users enter must be listed in
trusted_domains. - URL generation: use
overwritewebroot,overwritehost,overwriteprotocolandoverwrite.cli.urlwhen automatic detection is not correct. - Rewrite rules: clean URLs require
htaccess.RewriteBaseto match the new path and an updated.htaccess.
The procedure below covers a path-only change and a simultaneous server migration. Keep the original installation available until the new URL has passed all checks.
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Choose the implementation before changing anything
| Decision | Use this when | Main work | Important risk |
|---|---|---|---|
Apache Alias |
Apache serves the hostname and you can edit its virtual host. | Map /cloud/ to the ownCloud directory, permit the required overrides, then set ownCloud’s URL values. |
Wrong virtual-host precedence can send the path to another site or expose a directory listing. |
| Reverse-proxy route | Nginx, a load balancer or another frontend terminates the public request and forwards it to ownCloud. | Route the subdirectory at the proxy, preserve the public host and HTTPS information, and set overwrite values if detection is unreliable. | A missing forwarded host, scheme or path creates incorrect redirects and client URLs. |
| Same-server path change | The database, files and hostname remain on the same machine. | Back up, change routing and configuration, regenerate rewrite rules, then test. | Editing a live installation while requests are still arriving can leave inconsistent files or database state. |
| Full server migration | The hostname, machine or web stack also changes. | Put the source in maintenance mode, dump the database, copy apps, config and data, restore them on the target and test before DNS cutover. |
Changing the source during the copy can make the database and files disagree; preserve timestamps to avoid needless client downloads. |
| Automatic URL detection | ownCloud is reached directly and the web root is unambiguous. | Change the route and verify generated URLs. | Proxies, TLS termination and subdirectory routing can make detection wrong. |
| Explicit overwrite settings | Requests pass through a proxy, use HTTPS at the edge, or detection produces the old path. | Set the public host, protocol, web root and complete CLI URL in config.php. |
An incorrect value affects every generated link, so use the exact public URL users enter. |
Prepare a rollback and put the source into maintenance mode
Do this preparation before editing the route or copying files:
- Record the current hostname, public URL, filesystem path, PHP/web-server user, database name and proxy arrangement.
- Make a tested database backup and a separate copy of
config/config.php. Keep a restorable copy of the existingappsanddatadirectories as well. - Choose a maintenance window and notify users. Stop background jobs that could write files during a full transfer.
- Enable maintenance mode. With the usual web user and an
occfile in the ownCloud directory, the command is typicallysudo -u www-data php occ maintenance:mode --on; use the PHP binary and service account used by your installation. - For a server migration, stop the source web server before the final copy. During migration, do not change the original system except for putting it into maintenance mode.
Maintenance mode prevents logins and writes while the database and files are being made consistent. It is not a substitute for a backup: keep the original route and a rollback copy until post-cutover tests succeed.
Decide the filesystem path and public URL
Write down both values separately. For example, the application may remain at /var/www/owncloud while users access https://example.com/cloud. The data directory should stay outside the web root whenever possible so a web-server mistake cannot serve user files directly.
Use one canonical spelling and trailing-slash behavior. If the public path is /cloud, configure the route as /cloud/ and test both forms so the server redirects consistently. Do not put a scheme, path or port into trusted_domains; that setting is a hostname whitelist.
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Configure Apache with an Alias
In the virtual host for the public hostname, map the subdirectory to the existing ownCloud directory. The concept is:
Alias /cloud/ /var/www/owncloud/The corresponding <Directory> block must allow the overrides and access rules required by your installation. A typical deployment needs the ownCloud directory to be readable by the web-server account and its .htaccess files to be honored, but the exact directives depend on the existing virtual-host layout. Do not paste an Alias blindly into production: check which virtual host receives the hostname, whether another site already claims /cloud, and whether the target directory is the intended one.
After editing Apache, validate its configuration and reload it using your operating system’s normal service commands. If Apache shows a directory listing, serves another application or ignores rewrite rules, inspect Alias order, virtual-host precedence, directory permissions and the rewrite module before changing ownCloud settings.
Configure a reverse proxy when Apache is not the public frontend
If a proxy publishes the hostname, create an equivalent route there so requests for /cloud reach ownCloud. The proxy must pass the public Host and the original HTTPS state to the backend, and it must handle the path consistently for ordinary requests, WebDAV and large uploads. The backend route must not accidentally publish the ownCloud directory at the domain root as well.
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Because a proxy can hide the original scheme or path, explicit overwrite settings are often safer than relying on automatic detection. Set them to the URL that a browser or sync client actually uses, not to the private backend address. Test through the public proxy hostname; a direct backend test does not prove that generated client URLs are correct.
Set the ownCloud URL and trust settings
Edit config/config.php and adapt the values to your deployment:
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'example.com',
],
'overwritewebroot' => '/cloud',
'overwrite.cli.url' => 'https://example.com/cloud',
'overwriteprotocol' => 'https',
'htaccess.RewriteBase' => '/cloud',The key is exactly trusted_domains; do not copy an accidental leading space before it. The settings have distinct jobs:
| Setting | What to enter | When it matters |
|---|---|---|
trusted_domains |
Only hostnames, such as example.com or an approved administrative hostname. |
Always. Every hostname used to access the instance must be whitelisted. |
overwritewebroot |
The public path, such as /cloud. |
When ownCloud cannot correctly detect that it is mounted below the domain root. |
overwritehost |
The public host users see. | When a proxy or load balancer hides the external hostname. |
overwriteprotocol |
https when TLS terminates at the proxy or public frontend. |
When the backend receives HTTP but users must receive HTTPS links. |
overwrite.cli.url |
The complete canonical base URL, for example https://example.com/cloud. |
For command-line jobs and generated links when automatic URL detection is unreliable. |
htaccess.RewriteBase |
The same subdirectory path, normally /cloud. |
For index.php-less clean URLs under the new path. |
If several public hostnames are genuinely supported, list each hostname separately in trusted_domains. Never add a full URL, path or wildcard simply to silence an error; the whitelist is a security control.
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Regenerate clean-URL rules
When the installation uses clean URLs, set htaccess.RewriteBase to the new path and regenerate the rules from the ownCloud directory:
sudo -u www-data ./occ maintenance:update:htaccessUse the service account and path that own the installation. Confirm that Apache’s rewrite support is enabled, that the directory permits the required .htaccess overrides, and that the generated file is writable during the update. If you intentionally use URLs containing index.php, the rewrite-base setting is less central, but all generated links still need the correct /cloud prefix.
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Move or synchronize files without creating a split installation
Path-only change on the same server
If the application directory and database stay in place, do not move the data directory merely to change the public URL. Change the route, update config.php, regenerate the rewrite rules and test. Keeping the data directory outside the web root is preferable to placing it under the newly public path.
Migration to another server
After the database dump and while the source remains in maintenance mode, copy the application and data consistently. The migration set normally includes apps, config and data; restore the database on the target before opening the service. Preserve file timestamps so desktop and mobile clients do not interpret unchanged files as new downloads. For example, use a transfer method with timestamp preservation, such as rsync -rt, and verify ownership and permissions after the copy.
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Do not perform a second live write on the source while the final file copy is running. If the transfer is interrupted, compare sizes and checksums as appropriate, resume it, and keep maintenance mode enabled until the target’s database and files are aligned.
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Start the database and web server on the target, leaving maintenance mode enabled, then test through the exact hostname and path users will use:
- Open the canonical URL, such as
https://example.com/cloud, and confirm that the request reaches ownCloud rather than another virtual host. - Check the web-server error/access logs and ownCloud logs for route, permission, PHP, database and rewrite errors.
- Verify that redirects, static assets, login forms and administrator pages retain the
/cloudprefix and the correct HTTPS scheme. - Inspect a WebDAV endpoint and a representative file link. A page that loads is not sufficient if generated URLs still point to the old root.
- From a test desktop or mobile client, confirm that the server URL is the complete subdirectory URL and that an existing synchronized folder does not begin downloading every file again.
- Only after these checks pass, disable maintenance mode and log in as an administrator. Repeat the login, file upload, share-link and WebDAV checks with maintenance mode off.
Keep the old route and rollback copies until normal users have connected successfully. If a test fails, re-enable maintenance mode before correcting configuration so additional writes do not complicate recovery.
Handle DNS and HTTPS only when they actually change
A path change on the same hostname does not require a DNS update. A hostname change does: point DNS to the new public frontend, add the new hostname to trusted_domains, and test before removing the old name. If the new public domain needs a certificate, automate certificate issuance and renewal with a tool such as Certbot, then verify that the proxy or Apache presents the certificate for the hostname users enter.
When TLS terminates at a proxy, the browser still uses HTTPS even if the backend connection is HTTP. In that arrangement, overwriteprotocol => 'https' and the correct public host prevent HTTP redirects, mixed links and failed client discovery. Do not set the value to HTTPS unless HTTPS is truly the public scheme.
Troubleshoot the common failure modes
| Symptom | Likely cause | Check or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Access through untrusted domain | The hostname is absent or misspelled in the whitelist. | Add the hostname without scheme, path or port to trusted_domains, then retry using that exact hostname. |
Redirects go to / or the old path |
The application still detects the old web root, host or protocol. | Correct overwritewebroot, overwrite.cli.url, and, where needed, overwritehost and overwriteprotocol. |
URLs contain index.php or return 404 |
The rewrite base, rewrite module or .htaccess permissions are wrong. |
Set htaccess.RewriteBase to /cloud, enable the required Apache rewrite support, ensure overrides are allowed, and run occ maintenance:update:htaccess. |
| Login works but WebDAV or sync links fail | Only the browser page was corrected; generated links still use the root or old hostname. | Check the complete base URL, proxy forwarded host/protocol, overwrite.cli.url and the client account’s server URL. Test through the public hostname. |
| Files re-download after migration | File modification times changed during transfer or the client sees a different file state. | Repeat the transfer with timestamp preservation, such as an rsync invocation using -t, and verify the data directory and database came from the same maintenance window. |
| Apache serves a directory listing or another site | The Alias is in the wrong virtual host, loses precedence or points to the wrong directory. | Inspect the hostname’s selected virtual host, Alias order, target path, directory permissions and access rules. |
| HTTPS links become HTTP behind a proxy | The backend sees HTTP and ownCloud trusts that internal scheme. | Pass the public scheme correctly at the proxy and set overwriteprotocol to https when HTTPS is the external protocol. |
| Only some users can reach the new URL | They are using an unlisted hostname, alternate DNS name or old bookmark. | Choose one canonical hostname, list every intentionally supported hostname, and update clients and bookmarks to the complete subdirectory URL. |
Secure and document the finished installation
After the move, rerun the ownCloud procedure that secures its .htaccess files and review ownership, permissions and web-server access rules. Confirm that the data directory is not directly downloadable and that directory indexes are disabled. Record the final public URL, filesystem path, proxy route, overwrite settings, backup location and rollback steps for the next administrator.
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Quick Recap
Final verification checklist
- The canonical URL opens at the intended subdirectory and never unexpectedly falls back to the domain root.
- The hostname users enter appears in
trusted_domainswithout a scheme, path or port. overwritewebroot,overwrite.cli.url, and proxy host/protocol overrides match the public URL where automatic detection is unreliable.htaccess.RewriteBasematches the path and clean URLs work without unexplained 404 responses.- Database,
apps,configanddatacame from one consistent maintenance window. - Data-file timestamps were preserved during a server transfer.
- WebDAV, browser login, uploads, shares and existing sync clients work through the public hostname.
- Logs are clean, permissions are reviewed, and the old installation remains available until the rollback window ends.
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