The B2C WebDAV Explorer is the remote file tree under every connection in the Intellij SFCC Explorer panel. It talks to the instance over WebDAV, so you can browse code versions, logs, IMPEX, catalogs, libraries, and static content, then download, upload, move, copy, rename, compress, unzip, and delete files, or copy them to another instance, without leaving VS Code
Most remote file actions require active plugin access. Opening folders and the file actions are part of Remote resources, log clearing is Remote logs, code-version actions are Code version selection, and the mock API download is Mock API download. The root folders of a connection still list without access, and the tree is empty while the plugin is paused on this device
Where it lives
The WebDAV explorer is not a separate panel. Every connection in the Explorer panel has a Settings node and an Instance node, and the remote root folders sit under Instance. The active connection starts expanded
- A folder loads the first time you expand it, with a WebDAV PROPFIND request, so large trees stay responsive
- An empty folder shows
<Empty>. A root that cannot be listed shows<Empty>too, together with an error notification - Folders come first, then files, and each group is sorted newest first. Each row shows when it last changed, and files add their size, such as
3 days ago [1.2 MB] - Click a file to download and open it
- Select several items with
Cmd-click orCtrl-click, orShift-click a range. Refresh, Delete, Download and Open, Save on Local Drive, Compress, Unzip, Copy, Copy Remote Path, and Clear Log File act on the whole selection
Search loaded folders
Search in Explorer in the panel toolbar opens VS Code's tree find. It matches and filters the rows that are already loaded, so expand the folders you want to search first
Remote root folders
Each connection shows the same ten roots. The row description is the path on the instance, under /on/demandware.servlet/webdav/Sites
| Root folder | Path | What it contains |
|---|---|---|
| Code Version | /Cartridges | The code versions on the instance and their cartridges |
| Log Files | /Logs | Application logs, plus archived logs in log_archive |
| Security Log Files | /Securitylogs | Security logs |
| IMPEX | /Impex | Import and export files |
| Temp | /Temp | Temporary files |
| Realm Data | /Realmdata | Realm level data |
| Organization Static Content | /Static | Static assets stored at the organization level |
| Catalogs | /Catalogs/<catalog ID> | Catalog files. Needs a catalog ID |
| Content Images Library | /Libraries/<library or site ID> | Content library files. Needs a library or site ID |
| Velocity Templates | /Dynamic/<site ID> | Velocity templates. Needs a site ID |
In Code Version, the version the instance runs is marked ← Active on instance and the version the connection uploads to is marked ← Selected. Inside a code version, your project's cartridges are listed first, in cartridge path order
Scoped roots: catalogs, libraries, and Velocity
Catalogs, Content Images Library, and Velocity Templates cannot list everything at once, so they ask for an ID first. Click the + on the root, or the Add Catalog ID, Add Library or Site ID, or Add Site ID row inside an empty root, and type the ID:
| Root | Prompt | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Catalogs | Enter Catalog ID | sfra-master-catalog |
| Content Images Library | Enter Library or Site ID | RefArchLibrary |
| Velocity Templates | Enter Site ID | RefArch |
Each ID becomes a folder you can browse like any other. IDs are saved per hostname for this workspace. Delete on an ID folder only removes the ID from the tree; the folder on the instance stays
The three roots themselves have no New Folder, Paste, Open in Browser, or Copy Remote Path. Use those actions on an ID folder or anything inside it
File and folder actions
Right-click a remote file or folder for its actions. Folders, files, zip archives, and log files each get the actions that fit them
New Folder
Creates a folder inside the selected root or folder. Type the name in New folder in <folder>. Applies to roots and folders. To add files, upload them
Refresh
Reloads the folder from the instance when its content changed. It is also an inline button on roots and folders, and a selection of several folders refreshes all of them
Rename
Renames the item in place. Rename <name> opens prefilled with the current name. Applies to files and folders
Delete
Opens 🗑️ Confirm items you want to delete, a checklist of the selected items with their paths, all checked. Uncheck anything you want to keep, then confirm. Items inside a selected folder are removed with it, and a 🗑️ Deleting items progress counts them down. Each row has a button to copy its remote path. Applies to files and folders
Copy and Paste
Copy files and folders to another folder of the same instance. The copy happens on the instance, so nothing is downloaded
Copy
Select one or more items and choose Copy. The status bar confirms Copied 2 WebDAV item(s)
Paste
Right-click the target folder, or a file inside it, and choose Paste. It only appears once something is copied. A Pasting into <folder> progress runs while the instance copies
- Pasting into the folder you copied from creates
catalog copy.xml, thencatalog copy 2.xml, and so on - When the target already has an item with the same name,
catalog.xmlalready exists incatalogs. Replace it? asks first. Replace overwrites it on the instance and cannot be undone - Paste works within one instance. To copy between instances, use Copy to Another Instance
- A folder cannot be pasted into itself
Move by drag and drop
Drag files or folders onto another folder of the same connection to move them. A Moving progress counts the items and cannot be cancelled. A drop on another connection does nothing, and a move onto an existing name fails with an error instead of overwriting it
Copy Remote Path
Copies the full WebDAV URL of the item, such as https://<hostname>/on/demandware.servlet/webdav/Sites/Impex/src/catalog.xml. With several items selected, you get one URL per line
Open in Browser
Opens the item's WebDAV URL in your default browser. Applies to files and folders
Download and Open
Downloads files and opens them. A single click on a file does the same. Applies to files
- A ⬇️ notification shows
[downloaded / total] <name>for each file and can be cancelled - Text files (
.log,.txt,.csv,.xml,.js) over 3 MB are zipped on the instance first, downloaded, unzipped locally, and the temporary zip on the instance is removed - A
.logfile opens in the Log File Editor, ready to parse into Log Center - Other files are saved to a temporary folder for the instance and open in the editor. Files VS Code cannot show as text are revealed in your file manager instead
- Edits you make to a downloaded file stay local. To change the instance, upload the file again
- Folders are not downloaded recursively. To fetch a folder, compress it and download the zip
Save on Local Drive
Downloads the selected files to a folder you choose in Choose folder on your local drive to save file(s) (Save to this folder), then reveals them in your file manager. Applies to files
Compress (create zip archive)
Opens 📦 Confirm items you want to compress with the selected items checked. Each confirmed item is zipped on the instance into <name>.zip next to it, with a Zipping progress. Applies to files and folders
Unzip
Extracts the selected zip archives in place on the instance, with an Unzipping progress. Applies to zip files
Upload by drag and drop
Drag files or folders onto a remote folder, a root, or a file (which means its folder). They can come from your operating system's file manager or from the VS Code Explorer
- The files go to the connection of the folder you drop on, which does not have to be the active connection
- Each item is zipped locally, uploaded, unzipped on the instance, and the temporary zip is removed.
node_modules,.git,.vscode,.idea,.intellij-sfcc,.settings,.DS_Store, and.eslintrcare left out - A
.zipyou drop is uploaded as is, without extracting it - Existing files with the same name are overwritten without a prompt
To upload project files to the selected code version instead, use Upload and Deploy
Copy to Another Instance
Copies one remote file or folder from one instance to another, to the same path. Applies to files and folders
Pick a target
Choose the destination connection. The source connection is not offered
Zip on the source
Folders and files are zipped on the source instance. A .zip is sent as it is
Download, upload, and extract
The archive is downloaded to a temporary local folder, uploaded to the same path on the target, and unzipped there
Clean up
Temporary local files and the helper archives on both instances are removed
A 📋 <source> → <target> notification shows each stage (⬇️ Downloading…, ⬆️ Uploading…, 📦 Extracting…, 🧹 Cleaning up…) and can be cancelled. Files that already exist on the target are overwritten, and a .zip source arrives extracted
Errors
When the instance rejects a request, a notification names the connection, the HTTP code, and the path, for example [☁️ Sandbox 02] HTTP Code: 401 | Path: https://zzrx-002.dx.commercecloud.salesforce.com/on/demandware.servlet/webdav/Sites/Impex | Unauthorized. Please check your credentials. Its Select Account button opens the account picker of the connection. The same line is written to the B2C Sync Log output
| Code | Message |
|---|---|
401 | Unauthorized. Please check your credentials. |
403 | Operation is Forbidden |
404 | Resource not found |
521 | <connection> is stopped or offline. Please start it and try again. This one is shown on its own, without the code and path, and also offers Select Account |
Before any request, the extension also checks the connection. A missing username, password, or code version stops the action with a message that names the connection, such as 😱 Password is not provided for Sandbox 01 connection
Code versions
The Code Version root lists the code versions on the instance. See Connections for how the selected version flows into upload and the status bar
Change Code Version
Picks the code version that uploads and debugging target. Open it from the pencil on the connection's Code Version row or from the status bar. Select Code Version | Sandbox 01 marks each version ★ Active on instance and Selected, ● Active on instance, or ◉ Selected. Its + button creates a new code version, and the trash button on a row deletes one after 🗑️ Delete code version ? (Yes, delete)
Switch to Active Code Version on Instance
The wand button selects the version that is active on the instance, then confirms Code version changed to <version>
Logs
The Log Files and Security Log Files roots show the instance logs. Two or more log files with the same prefix are grouped into one folder, such as error (2), whose description shows the latest change and the total size
Click a log file to open it in the Log File Editor. Files under Log Files can also be tailed and parsed in Log Center, whose Focus action reveals a log in this tree. Security logs are not part of Log Center
Clear Log File
Empties the selected remote log files right away, without a confirmation, with a 📄 Clearing logs progress. Applies to .log files. Part of the Remote logs feature
Business Manager shortcuts
The connection's context menu opens Business Manager for that instance, at https://<hostname>/on/demandware.store/Sites-Site/default/ViewApplication-DisplayWelcomePage
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Open Business Manager | Opens it in your default browser |
| Open Business Manager in VS Code | Opens it in a browser tab inside VS Code |
| Copy Business Manager URL | Copies the URL |
Mock API download
demandware-mock.zip is the B2C Commerce API mock package that the instance serves. Use it in unit tests and tools that need the dw.* API outside the instance
| Action | Where |
|---|---|
| Download demandware-mock.zip | The connection's context menu |
| Download demandware-mock.zip for Active Connection | The Command Palette |
Choose a folder in Select folder to save DW Mock API Zip File (Save demandware-mock.zip here). The download shows its size and progress, can be cancelled, and ends with ✅ Downloaded demandware-mock.zip from Sandbox 01 and the file revealed in your file manager
Certificate-protected WebDAV
When an instance requires two-factor authentication with a client certificate, the WebDAV explorer uses the connection's certificate settings. Configure the certificate, secure hostname, file path, and password on the connection itself
See Certificate Authentication for the setup steps
For AI agents
The SFCC MCP server has 20 WebDAV tools, so an agent can list, read, and change remote files. Changes are planned first and run only after you confirm them in VS Code. See SFCC MCP