WebDav

What is WebDAV?

WebDAV (Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning) is a set of extensions to the HTTP protocol. It supports collaborative editing and sharing of files and folders over the web. It utilizes standard protocols and allows clients and users to access remote files as if they were local. WenDav supports features such as locking, metadata management, and versioning. It also supports operations, such as MOVE, COPY, LOCK, UNLOCK, PROPFIND, and more, through standard HTTP methods.

How to Connect WebDAV to a Server

Connecting WebDAV to remote servers is easy. Clients usually need the URL and credentials. Most operating systems provide built-in clients, such as Windows File Explorer, Mac Finder, and Linux file managers, that can mount WebDAV servers as network drives. 

To enable connections, you need to first enable WebDAV modules on your remote web server, such as Apache’s mod_dav or Nginx’s dav module. You also need to configure access controls and authentication. Once set, clients can browse folders, upload or download files, and interact with web resources through WebDAV connections.

WebDAV vs. FTP: The Difference between them

WebDAV and FTP are both protocols for working with remote files.  However, they are used for different purposes. WebDAV extends HTTP. These protocols provide extended operations, so accessing and manipulating web resources is easier. It supports features such as file locking, metadata, and collaborative authoring, so multiple authors or clients might collaborate without conflict.

FTP, on the other hand, is an older file transfer protocol that supports simple data movement. It usually doesn’t have built-in locking or metadata support. 

WebDAV is also firewall-friendly, as it uses HTTP/S, while FTP may require extra ports. FTP, however, providers speed, enabling users to transfer files with ease.

Examples

• Mounting a WebDAV share in Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder allows users to browse folders and modify web resources, such as local files.
  
• Enterprise environments use WebDAV servers for collaborative document editing and versioning, so authors can work safely on shared content.
  
• On IIS, the <webdav> configuration enables services that allow editing of websites over HTTP.