Finding the owner of a file

ℹ️ Support
,
1

The Basics

  • Nextcloud Server version (e.g., 29.x.x):
    • 31

Summary of the issue you are facing:

A file or a folder was shared with me. How can I know its owner?

Steps to replicate it (hint: details matter!):

  1. Open a file or folder’s details

  2. Look for ownership

  3. Don’t find it

2

For me it shows directly in the web-interface (shared by and the user’s icon) on the right side where the date and size are shown.

Version 32.0.8.

You should update soon, this version’s support was dropped recently.

3

Isn’t that the sharer, who can be different from the owner?

4

Correct.

The “real” owner is unknown, the nextcloud.log displays, who created a file, as well the activity notification f.ex. by email.

The owner in the file system always is the name of the webserver-service (e.g. “www-data”)

5

Do you think a feature request would be appropriate?

6

Maybe it is implemented.
Please check “Flow” app and add a new rule using file access control app. With a little bit luck you might be able to create a rule, which sends you an email, which shows you, who created a file on the Nextcloud server.

But I am not sure, because I never used those apps in the past. Maybe the forum search or google might help you with searching.

7

Hi @pHneutre,

No feature request needed — it is already there!

This information is already available, in multiple places.

Scenario: user1 (original owner) → shares with user2 (re-share allowed) → user2 re-shares with user3.

What user3 sees:

  • File listing — shows user1’s avatar on the right with the tooltip “Shared by user1” on hover. This is always the original owner, regardless of how many re-share steps are in between.
  • Details panel — shows “Shared with you by user2” — the direct/immediate sharer.
  • Internal shares section (below the share input field) — shows “user2 by user1”, making the full share chain explicit.

So Nextcloud already exposes all the information you need:

  • Who originally owns the file (user1, visible in the listing)
  • Who directly shared it with you (user2, visible in the details)
  • The full chain (visible in the shares section)

Tested on Nextcloud 32.0.9

h.t.h.

ernolf