Google Cloud Storage Folders

Google Cloud Storage (GCS) is an object storage service offered by Google Cloud Platform. GCS buckets can be mounted in the virtual file-system of CompleteFTP Enterprise MFT. Once a bucket has been mounted as a folder in CompleteFTP, it can be accessed seamlessly by users in the same way that any other folder is accessed.

Before a GCS bucket can be mounted, you need:

A Google Cloud project with Cloud Storage enabled
A GCS bucket in that project
A service account with appropriate permissions to access the bucket
A JSON key file for the service account

Adding a Google Cloud Storage Folder

GCS folders are added to CompleteFTP's virtual file-system in the same way as other folders in the filesystem — via the Folders tab, by choosing New root folder or New sub-folder. In CompleteFTP Enterprise MFT, there is a Google Cloud Storage folder menu item.

This brings up the Configure Google Cloud Storage Folder dialog box.

Configuration Settings

Setting	Description
Service Account JSON	Paste the entire contents of the service account JSON key file. This JSON must include `"type": "service_account"` and contains the credentials CompleteFTP uses to authenticate with Google Cloud Storage.
Bucket name	The name of the GCS bucket to mount (e.g., `my-bucket`). The bucket must already exist in your Google Cloud project.

Setting Up a Service Account

To create a service account and generate the required JSON key:

Go to the Google Cloud Console.
Navigate to IAM & Admin > Service Accounts.
Click Create Service Account and give it a descriptive name (e.g., "CompleteFTP GCS Access").
Grant the service account a role with storage access:
- Storage Object Admin — for read/write access to objects in buckets
- Storage Object Viewer — for read-only access
- Storage Admin — for full control (includes bucket management)
Click on the created service account to open its details.
Go to the Keys tab.
Click Add Key > Create new key.
Select JSON format and click Create.
The JSON key file will be downloaded automatically. Keep this file secure.
Open the JSON file and copy its entire contents into the Service Account JSON field in CompleteFTP.

Important Notes

This feature requires CompleteFTP Enterprise MFT.
The bucket must exist before you can mount it. CompleteFTP does not create buckets.
Keep your service account JSON key secure. Anyone with access to this key can access your GCS bucket with the permissions granted to the service account.
Files stored in GCS folders will not be automatically encrypted by CompleteFTP's encryption-at-rest feature.
Large file transfers may experience timeouts if the connection between CompleteFTP and Google Cloud Storage is slower than the client's connection to CompleteFTP.
Google Cloud Storage API has usage quotas. High-volume operations may be subject to rate limiting.