# Sync to Proton Drive via rclone + WebDAV

This guide shows how to sync Super Productivity to **Proton Drive** on desktop. Proton Drive has no official third-party sync API, so this works by running a small local bridge — [rclone](https://rclone.org/protondrive/) exposing your Proton Drive as a local WebDAV endpoint — and pointing Super Productivity's existing **WebDAV** provider at it. There is no dedicated "Proton Drive" option in the app; you configure the **WebDAV** provider against a local address.

> **Read this first — experimental, no support.** This setup relies on rclone's **community-maintained, reverse-engineered** Proton Drive backend. Proton does not officially support third-party access, and the backend can break whenever Proton changes its API or encryption. Like generic WebDAV sync (see [[2.08-Choose-Sync-Backend]]), this path is **experimental and provided as-is, without support**. Most problems come from the rclone/Proton side or your local setup — please troubleshoot those with the [rclone community](https://forum.rclone.org/) and **do not report them to Super Productivity as bugs**. If you want fully supported cloud sync, use **Dropbox** or **SuperSync** instead. Always keep backups (see [[2.02-Restore-Data-From-Backup]]).

**Desktop (Electron) only.** The bridge needs a local rclone process, so this does not work in the web app or on mobile.

## How It Works

```txt
Super Productivity  →  WebDAV provider  →  http://127.0.0.1:<port>  →  rclone serve webdav  →  Proton Drive
```

Your Proton login (including 2FA and mailbox password) lives only in rclone's own config. Super Productivity never sees or stores your Proton credentials — it only talks to the local WebDAV endpoint.

## 1. Install rclone

[Install rclone](https://rclone.org/downloads/) and make sure it is on your system `PATH` (or note the full path to the executable). Verify it works:

```sh
rclone version
```

## 2. Create a Proton Drive remote

In a terminal, run:

```sh
rclone config
```

Create a new remote of type **protondrive**. The prompts walk you through your Proton login, including 2FA and (if you have one) your separate mailbox password. Give the remote a name — `protondrive` is a good default.

Confirm it is configured:

```sh
rclone listremotes
# should include: protondrive:
```

## 3. Start the local WebDAV bridge

Run rclone as a local WebDAV server bound to loopback, with a **fixed** port and credentials you choose (so you can configure the app once):

```sh
rclone serve webdav protondrive: --addr 127.0.0.1:8585 --user sp --pass "choose-a-strong-password"
```

Notes:

- `--addr 127.0.0.1:8585` binds to **loopback only** — the bridge is not reachable from other machines. Pick any free port.
- The `--user` / `--pass` here are local-only credentials for the bridge; they are unrelated to your Proton account. Use a strong value anyway.
- Leave this process running while you sync. To keep it running across reboots, set rclone up as a background service / autostart entry — see the [rclone serve docs](https://rclone.org/commands/rclone_serve_webdav/) and your OS's service manager.

## 4. Configure the WebDAV provider in Super Productivity

1. Open **Settings** → **Sync & Backup** → **Sync**.
2. Set **Sync provider** to **WebDAV**.
3. Fill in:
   - **WebDAV Base URL**: `http://127.0.0.1:8585`
   - **Username**: the `--user` value (e.g. `sp`)
   - **Password**: the `--pass` value
   - **Sync Folder Path**: a folder to store sync files in, e.g. `/super-productivity`
4. (Recommended) Set a **client-side encryption key** so your sync files are encrypted at rest.
5. Click **Test Connection**, then enable sync.

That's it — Super Productivity now syncs to Proton Drive through the local bridge, using the standard WebDAV pipeline.

## Keeping It Running

The bridge must be running whenever the app syncs. If `rclone serve` is not running, sync will fail to connect (this is expected). Common approaches:

- Start it manually before you work.
- Run it as a background service (systemd user service on Linux, a Launch Agent on macOS, a scheduled/startup task on Windows).

If you change the port, credentials, or remote, update the WebDAV settings to match.

## Encryption

Proton Drive stores your data end-to-end encrypted on Proton's side. The hop from the app to the local bridge is plain HTTP, but it never leaves your machine (loopback only). Enabling Super Productivity's **client-side encryption key** additionally encrypts the sync file contents before they reach rclone — recommended.

## Troubleshooting

- **"Connection failed" / cannot reach the server** → make sure `rclone serve webdav …` is still running and the Base URL/port match.
- **Login, 2FA, mailbox password, or "remote not found" issues** → these are rclone/Proton concerns. Re-run `rclone config`, test with `rclone lsd protondrive:`, and ask on the [rclone forum](https://forum.rclone.org/). These are **not** Super Productivity bugs.
- **Sync worked, then suddenly stopped after a Proton change** → the reverse-engineered backend may need an rclone update. Update rclone first.
- **Uploads fail or files look truncated** → some cloud backends upload more reliably with a write cache. Add `--vfs-cache-mode writes` to the `rclone serve webdav` command and restart the bridge.

## Related

- [[2.08-Choose-Sync-Backend]] — Overview of all sync providers and their support status
- [[2.09-Configure-Sync-Backend]] — Configuring the WebDAV provider in detail
- [[3.08-Sync-Integration-Comparison]] — Side-by-side provider comparison
- [[2.02-Restore-Data-From-Backup]] — Restoring if something goes wrong
