WebDAV is the most flexible way to send JKSV backups off your console. Instead of relying on one built-in service, JKSV can upload save backups to any WebDAV server you control or subscribe to, from a home NAS to a hosted storage account. This guide walks through the complete webdav.json configuration, step by step. If you have not installed JKSV yet, start from the download page and get a first local backup working, then come back here. The full cloud overview lives on our cloud backup hub.
What you need before you start
You need a Nintendo Switch 1 running Atmosphère or another CFW, the current JKSV release, and a WebDAV account with its server address, username and password ready. JKSV itself is JK’s Save Manager by developer J-D-K, a GPL-3.0 homebrew tool, and WebDAV support is built into the rewritten 2025 codebase. Make at least one local backup first and confirm it appears under the /JKSV/ folder at the root of your SD card. That proves the backup side works before you add a network layer on top of it.
Also decide which folder on the server should receive your saves. JKSV uploads into a path you define in the configuration file, so creating a dedicated folder such as jksv-backups on the server first keeps your storage tidy and makes later restores much easier to find.
Where the configuration file lives
JKSV reads its WebDAV settings from a JSON file stored on the SD card at sd:/config/JKSV/webdav.json. Note the capitalisation: the folder is config at the root of the card, then a JKSV subfolder. If the folder does not exist yet, create it with your PC or a Switch file manager. The file is plain text, so any editor works, but save it as plain UTF-8 text with the exact name webdav.json and no extra extension such as .txt, which is the most common reason a correct-looking setup is silently ignored.
Because the file contains your server password in plain text, treat your SD card accordingly. Anyone with the card can read the credentials, so use a dedicated app password or a storage account limited to the backup folder where your provider offers one.
The webdav.json fields explained
The file uses a small set of fields. origin is the base server address, for example https://webdav.example.com, without a trailing folder path. basepath is the folder path on that server where backups should be stored, matching the folder you prepared earlier. username and password are the credentials for that account. Keep the JSON syntax exact: quotes around every value, commas between fields, and no trailing comma after the last entry, because a single syntax error makes the whole file unreadable to JKSV.
Double-check the origin in a browser or desktop WebDAV client first if you can. If the same address and credentials connect there, they will work in JKSV. If they fail on the desktop too, the problem is the account or the server address, not the console, and fixing it on a big screen is far less frustrating.
Uploading with the ZR button
With the file saved, launch JKSV using Title Override rather than applet mode for the most reliable behaviour, open a title, and create a backup as usual. On the backup options, pressing ZR uploads the backup to your configured WebDAV server instead of only keeping it locally. Cloud backups are always stored as ZIP files, because JKSV forces the ZIP format for anything sent to a remote destination. Watch the transfer finish before closing the app, especially for large saves, and then confirm the ZIP is visible on the server from your PC or phone.
Once the manual upload works, read our guide to automatic cloud uploads so new backups are sent without you remembering ZR each time. If you would rather use the built-in integration instead, the Google Drive setup guide covers the alternative path.
Troubleshooting common failures
Most failures come down to three causes: a mistyped origin, a JSON syntax error, or credentials that work on the provider website but not for WebDAV access. Some providers require a separate app password for WebDAV, and some only enable WebDAV on certain plans, which the provider comparison in this series explains. Re-type the file from scratch rather than editing a broken one character by character, and test again with a small save before trusting the setup with your only copy of an important file.
For a wider view of providers and trade-offs, see WebDAV providers compared and the strategy discussion in cloud vs local backups. A working WebDAV setup, verified with a test restore, turns JKSV from a local tool into a genuine off-device backup system.