folder_tree

The Folder Tree module for Drupal 10/11 provides an
interactive, AJAX-driven browser for exploring the server's directory and file
hierarchy directly from the Drupal admin UI — without SSH, FTP, or any
separate tooling. Directories are loaded lazily on demand so even large file
trees stay fast, and every request is validated server-side to prevent path
traversal outside the configured root.

Why You Need This Module

Server administrators and site builders routinely need to verify what files
are present on a live site — checking whether an uploaded asset landed in the
right place, confirming a deployment copied every file, inspecting log
directories, or auditing what is exposed under a public path. The standard
options each carry friction:

• SSH + ls / find: Requires
  terminal access and is unavailable to non-developers or clients who should
  not have shell credentials.
• FTP / SFTP client: Requires separate credentials, a
  separate application, and ongoing session management — overhead for a
  simple file check.
• Drupal's Media / File browser: Only surfaces files
  tracked by Drupal. Deployment artifacts, log files, configuration files,
  and anything outside sites/default/files are invisible.
• Hosting control panels: Not universally available,
  vary per host, and offer no integration with Drupal's own permission
  model.

Folder Tree fills that gap. It exposes a
permission-controlled, read-only directory browser inside the Drupal admin
panel — no extra credentials, no separate tools, no shell access required.
It is particularly valuable for:

• Site builders and content managers who need to confirm
  uploaded files exist on disk without involving a developer.
• Developers who want a quick visual check of deployment
  or build output without leaving the browser.
• System administrators who want to delegate read-only
  filesystem inspection to trusted editors while keeping write access
  restricted.
• Agencies running multi-client Drupal platforms who need
  lightweight per-site filesystem auditing without granting SSH access to
  clients.

Features

• Lazy AJAX loading: Child directories are fetched on
  demand; the initial page load is instant regardless of how large the tree
  is.
• Expand / collapse: Click any folder to reveal its
  contents; click again to collapse. The tree remembers which branches are
  open during a single session.
• Keyboard navigation: Full Arrow-key support —
  ↓ / ↑ move focus between items,
  → expands a folder, ← collapses it. No mouse
  required.
• Collapse all: A single toolbar button collapses every
  open branch at once.
• 25 distinct SVG file-type icons: Covers folders, PDFs,
  images, video, audio, archives, office documents, code files, and more —
  all embedded as inline data-URIs with no extra HTTP requests.
• Folder child counts: Every folder displays a badge
  showing how many direct children it contains before you expand it.
• File size tooltips: Hovering or focusing a file shows
  its human-readable size (1.4 KB, 23.7 MB, etc.)
  in the native browser tooltip.
• Live search filter: A search box in the toolbar
  instantly hides any item whose name does not match the typed string. Works
  across all currently loaded levels. Clear the box to restore all
  items.
• Path traversal protection: Every AJAX request resolves
  the requested directory through realpath() and confirms it is
  a strict child of the configured root. Symlinks pointing outside the root
  are blocked.
• Permission-gated endpoint: The AJAX route requires the
  same Drupal permission as the page itself; unauthenticated or
  unpermissioned requests receive a 403 before any filesystem
  access occurs.
• Read-only: The module provides no mechanism to upload,
  delete, move, or modify any file or directory. It is strictly a
  browser.
• Accessible and responsive UI: WCAG 2.1 AA compliant
  with role="tree", aria-live announcements,
  keyboard focus management, and reduced-motion support.
• Zero external dependencies: Uses native
  fetch() and Drupal core's once utility only. No
  jQuery, no CDN assets, no Composer packages beyond Drupal core.

Installation

Install the module using Composer (recommended):

composer require drupal/folder_tree

Enable the module:

drush en folder_tree -y

Clear Drupal caches:

drush cr

Post-Installation

After enabling the module:

1. Navigate to Administration » Configuration » System
   » Folder Tree Settings
   (/admin/config/system/folder-tree).
2. Set the Root directory path — the absolute server path
   used as the top of the tree. The browser cannot navigate above this
   path.
3. Optionally enable Show hidden files and directories to
   include files and folders whose names begin with ..
4. Grant permissions under People » Permissions:
   • access folder tree — allows browsing the directory tree
     and using the AJAX listing endpoint.
   • administer folder tree — allows changing the root path
     and show-hidden setting. Restrict to administrators only.
5. Browse the tree at Administration » Structure »
   Folder Tree
   (/admin/structure/folder-tree).

Additional Requirements

This module requires:

• Drupal 10.x or 11.x
• PHP 8.2 or higher
• Drupal core User and System
  modules
• The web server process must have read permission on the configured root
  directory.

No contributed module dependencies. No third-party JavaScript libraries or
external services are required.

Similar projects

• File Browser —
  Provides a file browser interface for Drupal-managed files. Folder Tree
  differentiates itself by exposing the full server filesystem (not just
  Drupal-tracked files), adding lazy AJAX loading, live search, role-based
  permissions, path traversal protection, and 25 inline SVG file-type icons.

Support

Please post bug reports, feature requests, and support requests to
the Folder Tree
module issue queue. Community contributions, testing, and documentation
improvements are always welcome.

Community Documentation

• Project documentation and configuration examples can be added here.
• Video walkthroughs and setup tutorials are welcome.
• Example root-path configurations for common hosting setups can also be
  included.

Security Focus

Folder Tree is designed for sites where controlled filesystem visibility
matters — agency platforms, enterprise Drupal installations, and multi-client
hosting environments where SSH access cannot be granted to every stakeholder.

All filesystem access is read-only and server-validated. The configured root
is resolved through realpath() on every request, file and
directory names are HTML-escaped before output, and the
administer folder tree permission is flagged
restrict access: true to prevent accidental delegation.