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Connecting pCloud

This guide walks you through connecting pCloud storage to Pluton for secure backup storage.

Prerequisites​

  • A pCloud account - Sign up here
  • pCloud can be used with Free, Premium, or Business plans
  • Web browser for OAuth authentication

Connection Process​

Method 1: Quick Connect (Using Rclone Client)​

Step 1: Add Storage​

  1. In Pluton, navigate to Storages
  2. Click Add Storage button
  3. Select pCloud from the provider list
  4. Set a Storage name. (e.g., "My pCloud")

Step 2: Acquire Access Token​

Acquiring Access Token on Desktop Installations​

  1. From the Authentication Section, select User (oAuth)
  2. If you've installed Pluton on a desktop machine, simply click the Authorize & Get Access Token button.
  3. When a new browser tab opens asking you to authorize the Rclone connection, accept it.
  4. Once authorized, you will be returned to a Success screen in the same tab. Close the tab as its not needed anymore.
  5. Go back to Pluton, and the OAuth Access Token should be automatically filled.

Acquiring Access Token on Server/Docker Installations​

Since Pluton installed on servers that may not have a web browser, you need to generate an OAuth token using rclone authorize on a machine that does have a browser:

  1. Install rclone on a machine with a web browser
  2. Run the following command: 
    rclone authorize drive
  3. A browser window will open — log in with your pCloud account and grant access
  4. Once authorized, rclone will print a JSON token blob to the terminal which should looks something like this 
       Paste the following into your remote machine --->
       {"access_token":"VWFL7ZDnONSzyJXpmZ6EiR5kZvWXNeprInuuCap7pW7jwzH65aGak","token_type":"bearer","expiry":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z"}
       <---End paste
  5. Copy the entire JSON token between the ---> and <---
  6. Go back to Pluton, and insert the copied token in the OAuth Access Token field.

Step 3: Complete the Storage Setup​

  1. Click the Add Storage button which automatically verifies credentials and adds the storage.
  2. Your pCloud storage is now ready for backup plans

Advanced Options (Optional)​

Additional configuration:

  • Root Folder: Leave as default (d0) to use your entire pCloud drive
  • Custom Root: Set a specific folder ID to limit backup scope to a subfolder

Understanding Root Folder ID​

By default, Pluton uses your entire pCloud drive. To limit backups to a specific folder:

  1. Use Pluton's file browser or pCloud's web interface
  2. Find the folder ID of your desired backup location
  3. Enter this folder ID in the Root Folder setting
  4. Pluton will treat this folder as the root directory

pCloud Crypto Folder​

If you use pCloud Crypto (encrypted folder):

  • Standard Pluton connection will NOT access Crypto Folder
  • You must unlock Crypto Folder in pCloud's app
  • Consider whether you need encryption at both Pluton and pCloud levels

Common Issues​

Authorization Failed: Check that browser pop-ups are not blocked. Allow pop-ups for Pluton and retry authorization.

Wrong Region Error: If you see connection errors, verify you're using the correct region endpoint (US vs EU).

Token Expired: pCloud tokens don't expire frequently, but if connection fails, simply re-authorize through Pluton.

Cleanup Command Not Working: The cleanup function requires username/password authentication (not OAuth). This is due to a pCloud API limitation.

File System Features​

Modification Times: pCloud supports modification timestamps. Files are re-uploaded to update timestamps.

Checksums: pCloud supports both MD5 and SHA1 hashes for data integrity verification.

Trash: Deleted files move to pCloud Trash. Trash retention depends on your pCloud plan.

Storage Plans​

Free Plan: 10GB storage - suitable for small backup sets.

Premium Plans: 500GB to 2TB+ - recommended for regular backups.

Business Plans: Team storage with advanced features.

Lifetime Plans: One-time payment for lifetime storage.

Best Practices​

  • Choose the region closest to your location for better performance
  • Monitor your pCloud storage usage to avoid running out of space
  • Regularly verify backups complete successfully
  • For EU users, EU region ensures GDPR compliance
  • Consider pCloud's file versioning feature as additional protection
  • Use root folder restriction to organize different backup types