# Storage sources

A **Storage Source** is where your files physically live. Curator points at a
source, reads the files where they already are, and builds its index from them.
It never moves, copies, renames, or alters your files unless you explicitly ask.

## Two types of source

Curator works with two kinds of storage source.

- **A folder on this Mac** is the simplest option and the recommended one. You pick
  a folder, and Curator indexes everything inside it.
- **Cloud object storage** connects to an S3-compatible bucket you already own. This
  covers AWS S3, Cloudflare R2, and MinIO. It is the advanced option, meant for files
  that already live in a bucket. You provide a display name, endpoint, and access keys,
  and Curator tests the connection before adding it.

> [!TIP]
> If your files are on your Mac, use a local folder. Cloud object storage only makes
> sense when your files are already in a bucket.

## Many sources at once

You can add more than one source. The **Storage Source** selector above the sidebar
switches between them, so you can work in one source at a time.

It also has an **All Sources** option. This is a single unified view across every
source you have added. When **All Sources** is active, **Search** and **Chat** span
all of them at once, so you can find and ask about files no matter where they live.

## Keeping a source in sync

When you add a source, Curator scans it to build the index. After that, syncing keeps
the index current. A sync detects files that are new, renamed, modified, or deleted
and updates the index to match. It only reads. Your actual files stay exactly where they are.

[Manage your sources](/using/manage-sources/)