Media Source Type - File System
Last updated Sep 2nd, 2026 | Page history | Improve this page | Report an issue
Support the team building MODX with a monthly donation.
The budget raised through OpenCollective is transparent, including payouts, and any contributor can apply to be paid for their work on MODX.
Backers
Budget
$204 per month—let's make that $500!
Learn moreThe File System Media Source Type¶
This Source Type allows you to browse the file system your MODX installation resides on.
In MODX 3 the driver is League Flysystem with a local adapter.
Available Properties¶
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| basePath | The file path to point the Source to. If relative, the path relative to the MODX base path. |
| basePathRelative | If the Base Path setting above is not relative to the MODX install path, set this to Yes. |
| baseUrl | The URL that this source can be accessed from. If relative, the URL relative to the MODX base URL. |
| baseUrlRelative | If the Base URL setting above is not relative to the MODX install URL, set this to Yes. |
| allowedFileTypes | If set, will restrict the files shown to only the specified extensions. Please specify in a comma-separated list, without the . |
| imageExtensions | A list of file extensions that can be made into thumbnails. Default Value: jpg,jpeg,png,gif |
| thumbnailType | When a thumbnail is displayed, the type of image it will be rendered as. Default Value: png |
| thumbnailQuality | The quality of the rendered thumbnail, on a scale from 0-100. Default Value: 90 |
| skipFiles | A comma-separated list of filenames to skip when browsing the source. Default Value: .svn,.git,_notes,nbproject,.idea,.DS_Store |
| visibility | Default Flysystem visibility for new files and folders: public or private. Default: public. Added in MODX 3.0. |
File and folder visibility (MODX 3.0+)¶
File System sources support Flysystem visibility for both files and folders (visibility_files and visibility_dirs are enabled).
- Private objects show an
icon-eye-slashinstead of the normal folder / file icon in the Files tree. - Right-click a file or folder → Set Visibility → choose Public or Private.
- The source
visibilityproperty is only the default for newly created objects. It does not rewrite existing items. - Changing visibility requires media-source save access. Folder menu items also need
directory_chmod. File menu items needfile_update(the processor still checksdirectory_chmod).
Some remote adapters and certain file types (for example some .php paths) may refuse a visibility change. Check the error log if Set Visibility fails.
Protected system directories (MODX 3.0+)¶
Browser processors refuse to rename or remove directories that resolve to core install paths: assets, base, connectors, core, manager, processors, and the xPDO core path. #14374 Pointing a File System source at the MODX root does not let you delete or rename those folders from the Files tree. Create sources under assets/ (or another non-core tree) for day-to-day media work.
See Also¶
Support the team building MODX with a monthly donation.
The budget raised through OpenCollective is transparent, including payouts, and any contributor can apply to be paid for their work on MODX.
Backers
Budget
$204 per month—let's make that $500!
Learn more










