# Enable the selfhost Directus Support Cloudflare R2 for Storage

If you’re building a modern web app with Directus as your headless CMS and wondering whether you can plug in **Cloudflare R2** for file storage, the short answer is: **yes, but with a little setup**. Let’s break it down so you know exactly what to expect and how to get it working smoothly.

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### What Is Cloudflare R2, and Why Should You Care?

Cloudflare R2 is an **S3-compatible object storage** service that lets you store large amounts of unstructured data—like images, videos, backups, or even ML datasets—**without the dreaded egress fees** that come with traditional cloud storage providers. That means you can serve files globally without worrying about surprise bills when your traffic spikes.

For Directus users, this is a big deal. Directus is a powerful open-source headless CMS, but it doesn’t come with built-in support for R2—yet. However, because R2 is **fully S3-compatible**, you can configure it as a custom storage adapter using Directus’s existing S3 driver.

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### How to Connect Cloudflare R2 to Directus

Here’s a step-by-step guide to get your Directus instance storing files in R2:

#### 1\. **Create Your R2 Bucket**

Head over to your Cloudflare dashboard, navigate to the R2 section, and create a new bucket. You’ll also need to generate an **API token** with the right permissions to read and write to that bucket.

#### 2\. **Configure Directus to Use R2**

In your Directus environment file (usually `.env` or `docker-compose.yml`), set the following variables:

```plaintext
STORAGE_LOCATIONS="s3"
STORAGE_S3_DRIVER="s3"
STORAGE_S3_KEY="your-access-key-id"
STORAGE_S3_SECRET="your-secret-access-key"
STORAGE_S3_BUCKET="your-bucket-name"
STORAGE_S3_ENDPOINT="https://your-account-id.r2.cloudflarestorage.com"
STORAGE_S3_REGION="auto"
```

Make sure the endpoint matches your R2 account URL. You can find this in your Cloudflare R2 dashboard.

#### 3\. **Test the Integration**

Upload a file through the Directus admin panel. If everything’s configured correctly, your file should now be stored in your R2 bucket and served via Cloudflare’s global CDN.

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### Common Pitfalls and Fixes

Some users have reported issues where R2 doesn’t seem to work even after configuration. This usually boils down to:

* **Incorrect endpoint format**: Make sure you’re using the full R2 endpoint, not just a generic S3 URL.
    
* **Missing region**: Even though R2 doesn’t use traditional regions, setting it to `"auto"` is required for compatibility.
    
* **Permissions**: Double-check that your API token has the correct permissions to access the bucket.
    

If you’re still stuck, the Directus GitHub community is active, and issues like [#23733](https://github.com/directus/directus/issues/23733) have been resolved with community help.

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### Why Use R2 with Directus?

Here’s why this combo is a match made in developer heaven:

| Feature | Benefit |
| --- | --- |
| **No egress fees** | Save money when serving files globally |
| **S3 compatibility** | Use existing S3 tools and libraries |
| **Global CDN** | Fast file delivery via Cloudflare’s edge network |
| **Scalability** | Handle large media libraries or data lakes with ease |

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### Final Thoughts

While Directus doesn’t have a native R2 adapter (yet), its S3 compatibility makes integration straightforward. Once configured, you’ll enjoy **cost-effective, scalable, and fast file storage**—perfect for content-heavy apps, media libraries, or even AI/ML workflows.

So go ahead, plug in R2, and let your Directus-powered app scale without the storage bill shock.

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### Author Opinion

As someone who’s worked with both Directus and Cloudflare R2, I can say this combo is a **game-changer** for developers who want performance without vendor lock-in. The setup is a bit manual, but once it’s running, it’s rock-solid. I’d love to see Directus officially support R2 in the future, but for now, the S3 workaround does the job beautifully.

**Author:** [Erik Chen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikchen/)

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### Trusted Resources

* [Cloudflare R2 Documentation](https://developers.cloudflare.com/r2/)
    
* [Directus GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/directus/directus/discussions/18857)
    
* [Cloudflare R2 S3-Compatible Object Storage](https://www.cloudflare.com/zh-tw/developer-platform/solutions/s3-compatible-object-storage/)