---
title: "Cloudinary"
description: "Rclone docs for Cloudinary backend"
versionIntroduced: "v1.69"

---
# {{< icon "fa fa-cloud" >}} Cloudinary

This is a backend for the [Cloudinary](https://cloudinary.com/) platform

## About Cloudinary

[Cloudinary](https://cloudinary.com/) is an image and video API platform.
Trusted by 1.5 million developers and 10,000 enterprise and hyper-growth companies as a critical part of their tech stack to deliver visually engaging experiences.

## Accounts & Pricing

To use this backend, you need to [create a free account](https://cloudinary.com/users/register_free) on Cloudinary. Start with a free plan with generous usage limits. Then, as your requirements grow, upgrade to a plan that best fits your needs. See [the pricing details](https://cloudinary.com/pricing).

## Securing Your Credentials

Please refer to the [docs](/docs/#configuration-encryption-cheatsheet)

## Configuration

Here is an example of making a Cloudinary configuration.

First, create a [cloudinary.com](https://cloudinary.com/users/register_free) account and choose a plan.

You will need to log in and get the `API Key` and `API Secret` for your account from the developer section.

Now run

`rclone config`

Follow the interactive setup process:

```text
No remotes found, make a new one?
n) New remote
s) Set configuration password
q) Quit config
n/s/q> n

Enter the name for the new remote.
name> cloudinary-media-library

Option Storage.
Type of storage to configure.
Choose a number from below, or type in your own value.
[snip]
XX / cloudinary.com
\ (cloudinary)
[snip]
Storage> cloudinary

Option cloud_name.
You can find your cloudinary.com cloud_name in your [dashboard](https://console.cloudinary.com/pm/developer-dashboard)
Enter a value.
cloud_name> ****************************

Option api_key.
You can find your cloudinary.com api key in your [dashboard](https://console.cloudinary.com/pm/developer-dashboard)
Enter a value.
api_key> ****************************

Option api_secret.
You can find your cloudinary.com api secret in your [dashboard](https://console.cloudinary.com/pm/developer-dashboard)
This value must be a single character, one of the following: y, g.
y/g> y
Enter a value.
api_secret> ****************************

Option upload_prefix.
[Upload prefix](https://cloudinary.com/documentation/cloudinary_sdks#configuration_parameters) to specify alternative data center
Enter a value.
upload_prefix>

Option upload_preset.
[Upload presets](https://cloudinary.com/documentation/upload_presets) can be defined for different upload profiles
Enter a value.
upload_preset>

Edit advanced config?
y) Yes
n) No (default)
y/n> n

Configuration complete.
Options:
- type: cloudinary
- api_key: ****************************
- api_secret: ****************************
- cloud_name: ****************************
- upload_prefix:
- upload_preset:

Keep this "cloudinary-media-library" remote?
y) Yes this is OK (default)
e) Edit this remote
d) Delete this remote
y/e/d> y
```

List directories in the top level of your Media Library

`rclone lsd cloudinary-media-library:`

Make a new directory.

`rclone mkdir cloudinary-media-library:directory`

List the contents of a directory.

`rclone ls cloudinary-media-library:directory`

### Modified time and hashes

Cloudinary stores md5 and timestamps for any successful Put automatically and read-only.

{{< rem autogenerated options start" - DO NOT EDIT - instead edit fs.RegInfo in backend/cloudinary/cloudinary.go then run make backenddocs" >}}
### Standard options

Here are the Standard options specific to cloudinary (Cloudinary).

#### --cloudinary-cloud-name

Cloudinary Environment Name

Properties:

- Config:      cloud_name
- Env Var:     RCLONE_CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME
- Type:        string
- Required:    true

#### --cloudinary-api-key

Cloudinary API Key

Properties:

- Config:      api_key
- Env Var:     RCLONE_CLOUDINARY_API_KEY
- Type:        string
- Required:    true

#### --cloudinary-api-secret

Cloudinary API Secret

Properties:

- Config:      api_secret
- Env Var:     RCLONE_CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET
- Type:        string
- Required:    true

#### --cloudinary-upload-prefix

Specify the API endpoint for environments out of the US

Properties:

- Config:      upload_prefix
- Env Var:     RCLONE_CLOUDINARY_UPLOAD_PREFIX
- Type:        string
- Required:    false

#### --cloudinary-upload-preset

Upload Preset to select asset manipulation on upload

Properties:

- Config:      upload_preset
- Env Var:     RCLONE_CLOUDINARY_UPLOAD_PRESET
- Type:        string
- Required:    false

### Advanced options

Here are the Advanced options specific to cloudinary (Cloudinary).

#### --cloudinary-encoding

The encoding for the backend.

See the [encoding section in the overview](/overview/#encoding) for more info.

Properties:

- Config:      encoding
- Env Var:     RCLONE_CLOUDINARY_ENCODING
- Type:        Encoding
- Default:     Slash,LtGt,DoubleQuote,Question,Asterisk,Pipe,Hash,Percent,BackSlash,Del,Ctl,RightSpace,InvalidUtf8,Dot

#### --cloudinary-eventually-consistent-delay

Wait N seconds for eventual consistency of the databases that support the backend operation

Properties:

- Config:      eventually_consistent_delay
- Env Var:     RCLONE_CLOUDINARY_EVENTUALLY_CONSISTENT_DELAY
- Type:        Duration
- Default:     0s

#### --cloudinary-description

Description of the remote.

Properties:

- Config:      description
- Env Var:     RCLONE_CLOUDINARY_DESCRIPTION
- Type:        string
- Required:    false

{{< rem autogenerated options stop >}}