Download files over HTTPS

Use an HTTPS transfer project to download files from a public website or CDN into Lokad, either as ordinary files or as entries in a filepack. You need direct file paths that work without authentication, query strings, or redirects, and permission to write the destinations in Lokad.

Configure the connection

Create a connection script with protocol HTTPS and the source hostname, for example cdn.example.com. Enter only the hostname, without https://, a path, or a port. HTTPS connections use anonymous access on port 443.

Create a transfer project using this connection. For the examples below, set both the remote and local root paths to /, and leave local read only unchecked so the project can write downloaded files. Replace the example hostname and source paths with those of your provider.

List the files to download

Enter the following CSV in Transfer instructions:

Source,Destination,Action,Flags
/exports/products.csv,/input/products.csv,GET,
/products/a.jpg,/catalog/images.fp/a.jpg,GET,
/products/b.jpg,/catalog/images.fp/b.jpg,GET,

The first row downloads https://cdn.example.com/exports/products.csv to /input/products.csv. The other rows download two images into entries a.jpg and b.jpg of /catalog/images.fp. To store an image as an ordinary file instead, use a destination such as /catalog/images/a.jpg.

Keep the hostname in the connection, not in Source. Source paths contain literal filenames; Lokad URL-escapes them when making the request. With a remote root of /products, a relative source a.jpg addresses /products/a.jpg.

List each source file explicitly. HTTPS does not support listing directories, wildcards, recursive folder downloads, uploads, or changes to remote files. Do not use the Newer flag: HTTPS does not provide the remote modification dates needed for that comparison. Each run downloads the listed files again.

Run and check the import

Run the transfer project and check its execution log, then preview /input/products.csv and /catalog/images.fp in the file explorer. Each HTTPS download is limited to 64 MiB and 100 seconds.

Successful downloads into an existing filepack replace matching entries and preserve the others. Check the transfer result before treating the pack as fully refreshed: some downloads may succeed while others fail. See store product images in filepacks to preview entries and display them in a dashboard.