If you've been building with Supabase, you know their Storage API is fantastic for web apps. But sometimes, you just need your files on your local machine—whether for a manual backup, bulk editing, or migrating data.
While you could write a script using the Supabase SDK, there is a much faster, "no-code" way to manage your files like a Pro: Cyberduck.
Note: Cyberduck is an official Supabase partner integration. It is a secure, open-source tool that Supabase explicitly recommends for managing storage via the S3 protocol. You can find the official integration page here.
Phase 1: Generate Your S3 Credentials
Before opening Cyberduck, you need to give it permission to talk to your Supabase project via the S3 protocol.
- Log in to your Supabase Dashboard.
- Navigate to the S3 Settings tab in the sidebar (under Storage).
- Under Access Keys, click Create Access Key.
- Give it a description (e.g., "Local Backup") and click Create.
- Important: Copy your Access Key ID and Secret Access Key immediately. You won't be able to see the secret again!
Phase 2: Configure the Cyberduck Profile
Cyberduck needs a specific "handshake" configuration to understand Supabase’s structure.
- Download Cyberduck: Get the latest version from their official download page.
- Create the Profile: Create a file on your computer named
supabase.cyberduckprofile. - Paste the following code into that file:
Edit the file: Replace YOUR_PROJECT_REF with your project ID (found in your Supabase URL) and YOUR_REGION (e.g., ap-south-1).
Save and Run: Double-click the file. Cyberduck will open and ask for your credentials. Enter the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key you generated earlier.
Phase 3: Downloading Your Bucket
Once connected, you will see your Supabase buckets listed just like folders on your computer.
- Select your Bucket: Locate the folder you wish to bring local.
- Download: Right-click the bucket and select Download. You can choose the destination folder on your machine, and Cyberduck will handle the transfer.
- Sync/Mirror: If you want to keep your local folder updated with the latest changes from the cloud without re-downloading everything, use the Mirror feature. This compares the local and remote folders and only transfers the differences.
Other Powerful Use Cases
Connecting via S3 is about more than just backups. Here’s what else you can do:
- Bulk Uploads: Drag and drop thousands of assets (like product images or icons) directly into Supabase. It’s much more stable than using a browser-based dashboard for large volumes.
- Direct Media Editing: Some editors allow you to open a file directly from Cyberduck, edit it, and save it back to the cloud instantly.
- Cross-Cloud Migration: If you are moving files from AWS S3 or Cloudflare R2 into Supabase (or vice-versa), you can open two windows in Cyberduck and simply drag-and-drop between the two services.
- Infrastructure Testing: It's an excellent way for developers to verify that their S3 policies and IAM-style permissions are working correctly before writing a single line of frontend code.
