Configuring rclone to access Hetzner Object Stroage

By | 27 July 2026
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How to Configure Rclone with Hetzner Object Storage for Automated Backups and Restores

Object storage is an excellent choice for storing backups because it is inexpensive,
scalable, and highly durable. This guide explains how to configure Rclone
to connect to Hetzner Object Storage so you can manually upload/download
backups or automate the process using scripts and cron jobs.

This guide is intended for Developers and DevOps engineers who want a
reliable backup and restore workflow.

Prerequisites

  • A Linux server or workstation
  • A Hetzner Object Storage bucket
  • An Access Key and Secret Key
  • Sudo access
  • Internet connectivity

Step 1: Install Rclone

Install the latest version of Rclone.

curl https://rclone.org/install.sh | sudo bash

Verify the installation.

rclone version

Step 2: Generate the Configuration Directory

Run Rclone once to generate the configuration directory.

rclone

The default configuration file is located at:

~/.config/rclone/rclone.conf

You can exit Rclone after the directory has been created.

Step 3: Configure Hetzner Object Storage

Edit the configuration file.

nano ~/.config/rclone/rclone.conf

Add the following configuration:

[hetzner]
type = s3
provider = Other

access_key_id = <ACCESS_KEY>
secret_access_key = <SECRET_KEY>

endpoint = https://hel1.your-objectstorage.com

# Use fsn1, nbg1, or hel1 depending on your bucket region.
region = hel1

Configuration Parameters

Parameter Description
hetzner Name of the Rclone remote. You may choose any name.
access_key_id Hetzner Object Storage Access Key.
secret_access_key Hetzner Object Storage Secret Key.
endpoint Object Storage endpoint for your bucket.
region Bucket region (hel1, fsn1 or nbg1).

Note: The endpoint and region must match the region where your bucket was created.

Step 4: Verify the Configuration

List all configured remotes.

rclone listremotes

Expected output:

hetzner:

List all buckets.

rclone lsd hetzner:

Step 5: Upload Files to Object Storage

Upload a file or directory.

rclone copy <SOURCE> hetzner:<BUCKET_NAME>/PATH/ \
    --transfers 24 \
    --progress

Example

rclone copy /backups/database.sql.gz \
    hetzner:production-backups/database/ \
    --transfers 24 \
    --progress

Command Options

Option Description
copy Copies files without deleting anything from the destination.
–transfers 24 Runs up to 24 parallel file transfers.
–progress Displays upload progress.

Step 6: Download Files from Object Storage

Download files from your bucket.

rclone copy \
    hetzner:<BUCKET_NAME>/PATH/ \
    <DESTINATION> \
    --transfers 24 \
    --progress

Example

rclone copy \
    hetzner:production-backups/database/ \
    /restore/database \
    --transfers 24 \
    --progress

Useful Commands

List Buckets

rclone lsd hetzner:

List Files

rclone ls hetzner:<BUCKET_NAME>

Display Folder Structure

rclone lsf -R hetzner:<BUCKET_NAME>

Check Bucket Size

rclone size hetzner:<BUCKET_NAME>

Delete a File

rclone deletefile hetzner:<BUCKET_NAME>/PATH/file.tar.gz

Delete a Folder

rclone purge hetzner:<BUCKET_NAME>/PATH/

Warning: The purge command permanently deletes all contents under the specified directory.

Backup Best Practices

Organize backups by date.

production-backups/

├── database/
│   ├── 2026-07-27.sql.gz
│   ├── 2026-07-28.sql.gz
│
├── volumes/
│   ├── 2026-07-27.tar.gz
│
└── logs/

Automating Backups

Create a simple backup script.

#!/bin/bash

BACKUP_FILE="/backup/database-$(date +%F).sql.gz"

rclone copy \
    "$BACKUP_FILE" \
    hetzner:production-backups/database/ \
    --transfers 24 \
    --progress

Make it executable.

chmod +x backup.sh

Run manually.

./backup.sh

Or schedule it using Cron.

0 2 * * * /opt/scripts/backup.sh

Restore Workflow

Download the required backup.

rclone copy \
    hetzner:production-backups/database/2026-07-27.sql.gz \
    /restore \
    --progress

Verify the download.

ls -lh /restore

Troubleshooting

Authentication Failed

  • Verify the Access Key
  • Verify the Secret Key
  • Check the endpoint
  • Confirm the region

Bucket Not Found

  • Verify the bucket name.
  • Ensure the bucket exists.
  • Check the configured endpoint.

Slow Uploads

Adjust the number of parallel transfers.

--transfers 8

or

--transfers 32

Show Configuration Location

rclone config file

Security Recommendations

  • Never commit rclone.conf into Git.
  • Restrict file permissions.
chmod 600 ~/.config/rclone/rclone.conf
  • Rotate Access Keys periodically.
  • Use dedicated credentials for backup automation.
  • Store secrets securely using a secrets manager whenever possible.

Conclusion

Rclone makes it simple to interact with Hetzner Object Storage for backup and restore
operations. Once configured, these commands can easily be integrated into shell scripts,
Cron jobs, CI/CD pipelines, or Kubernetes CronJobs, providing a reliable and scalable
backup strategy.