Set up and manage Adobe Cloud Drive for your organization
As as administrator, you can set up Adobe Cloud Drive to give users direct desktop access to their project files in Adobe cloud storage, through Finder on macOS and File Explorer on Windows. This article covers how to enable access in the Adobe Admin Console, deploy the application to user devices, and manage access on an ongoing basis.
Adobe Cloud Drive is an enterprise desktop application that mounts Workfront documents on Adobe cloud storage as a virtual drive on users’ Mac and Windows computers. After installation, users see their Workfront project folders in Finder or File Explorer and can open, edit, and save project files using any desktop application, without downloading files manually or working through a browser.
To use Adobe Cloud Drive, your organization must be on the Workflow Ultimate package, with Adobe cloud storage enabled.
For more information about Adobe Cloud Drive, see the following articles:
Access requirements
| table 0-row-2 1-row-2 layout-auto html-authored no-header | |
|---|---|
| Adobe Workfront version | Workflow Ultimate, with Adobe cloud storage enabled |
| Adobe administrator rights | You must be a System Administrator for Workfront in the Adobe Admin Console |
For information, see Access requirements in Workfront documentation.
Assign access to Adobe Cloud Drive in the Adobe Admin Console
Adobe Cloud Drive is included with the Workflow Ultimate package, when Adobe cloud storage is enabled. It does not appear as a standalone product in the Products section of the Admin Console. Instead, it is managed through the Roles section under Users.
When you go to Users > Roles, you see two roles associated with the Workfront product:
Access controls
Control 1: Org-level capability control (in the Member role)
The Member role is automatically assigned to every user in your organization. Within this role, there is an Adobe Cloud Drive capability switch. When this switch is on, every user with a Workflow Ultimate license can access Adobe Cloud Drive. When it’s off, no user can access Adobe Cloud Drive, regardless of their license.
The switch is on by default when Adobe activates Adobe Cloud Drive for your organization.
Control 2: ACD user role
The ACD user role is only relevant when the org-level switch is off. If you turn off the org-level switch to run a controlled pilot, you can still grant access to specific users by adding them to the ACD user role. Users in this role can access Adobe Cloud Drive even when the org-level switch is off. If the org-level switch is on, the ACD user role has no effect.
Underlying requirement: Workflow Ultimate license
Adobe Cloud Drive is only available on the Workflow Ultimate package. Role options are not available on any other package.
The license within the Workflow Ultimate package can be any license type: Standard, Light, or Contributor. For information about licenses, see Licenses overview.
The following table shows how these controls interact:
Prerequisites
Verify the following before you start:
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The users you plan to provision have Workfront Workflow licenses assigned.
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You’ve reviewed the network requirements with your IT team.
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You’ve drafted communication to send to users explaining what Adobe Cloud Drive shows (Workfront project assets only) and how to install it.
note NOTE A user who has access enabled but doesn’t have access to any Workfront projects sees an empty mounted drive after sign-in. This is expected. Workfront project access is managed separately in Workfront. For information, see Share a project. Also, Creative Cloud entitlement must be in the same IMS organization as Workfront for projects to appear in the drive.
Configure access in the Adobe Admin Console
Adobe Cloud Drive access is configured in the Adobe Admin Console. Choose the option that matches your rollout strategy.
Option A: Enable access for your entire organization
When Adobe activates Adobe Cloud Drive for your organization, the org-level capability switch is turned on by default, and all users have access immediately. Use this procedure to confirm the switch is on before you deploy the application.
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Sign in to adminconsole.adobe.com.
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Click Users in the top navigation bar.
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Click Roles in the left panel.
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Click Member in the roles list.
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In the Member panel that opens on the right, confirm that Adobe Cloud Drive appears under Permissions and its switch is on.
note NOTE If Adobe Cloud Drive doesn’t appear under the Member role’s Permissions, Adobe Cloud Drive might not yet be activated for your organization. Contact Adobe Support to confirm. -
Click Save if you made any changes.
Option B: Enable access for a specific group of users
Use this option when you want to limit access to a defined set of users, for example, during a pilot before a broader rollout. This involves turning off the org-level switch, then adding your pilot users to the ACD user role.
To turn off the org-level capability:
- Sign in to adminconsole.adobe.com.
- Click Users in the top navigation bar, then click Roles in the left panel.
- Click Member in the roles list.
- In the Member panel, locate Adobe Cloud Drive under Permissions and turn it off.
- Click Save.
To add pilot users to the ACD user role:
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In the left panel, click Roles to return to the roles list.
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Click ACD user in the roles list.
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Click Add Users.
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Enter the email address of each pilot user.
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Click Save.
Users added to the ACD user role gain access immediately. Users not in this role remain without access until you add them to the role or turn the org-level switch back on.
note tip TIP To expand access over time, return to the ACD user role and add users as needed. When you’re ready for a full rollout, turn the org-level switch back on in the Member role. Once the org-level switch is on, the ACD user role has no effect and does not need to be maintained.
Deploy the Adobe Cloud Drive application
Configuring access in the Adobe Admin Console establishes entitlement. Deploying the application installs it on the user’s device. These are two separate, required steps.
Adobe Cloud Drive is a standalone application. It is not distributed through the Creative Cloud desktop application and does not appear in the Creative Cloud package manager. However, the user profile for Adobe Cloud Drive is tied to Creative Cloud App entitlement. This means that for a user to access Workfront projects in the drive, Creative Cloud Apps must be entitled in the same IMS organization as Workfront.
Choose the deployment method that matches your organization’s device management practices.
Method A: IT-managed deployment through Admin Console packages
Use this method when your organization uses centralized deployment tools such as Microsoft Intune, SCCM, Jamf Pro, or Apple Remote Desktop. This is the standard Adobe enterprise deployment workflow, and it follows the same package creation process used for other Adobe applications.
To create the package in the Adobe Admin Console:
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Sign in to adminconsole.adobe.com.
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Click Packages in the top navigation bar.
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Click Pre-generated packages in the left panel.
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Click the Templates tab.
Adobe Cloud Drive appears twice in the template list: once for macOS and once for Windows.
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Locate the Adobe Cloud Drive row that matches your target platform, then click the details icon on that row.
A side panel displays the package metadata.
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Click Customize.
The package customization wizard opens, with four steps: Configure, Choose apps, Options, and Finalize.
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In the Configure step, select the architecture for your target machines, then confirm the language setting and click Next.
- macOS: Choose macOS (Intel) or macOS (Apple Silicon).
- Windows: Choose Windows (64-bit) or Windows (ARM).
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In the Choose apps step, confirm that Adobe Cloud Drive is selected with the version you want.
Adobe Cloud Drive is pre-selected with the latest available version. To use an older version, click Other versions and select Older versions.
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Click Next.
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In the Options step, click Next without selecting any options.
These settings apply to Creative Cloud desktop applications and don’t apply to Adobe Cloud Drive.
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In the Finalize step, type a name for the package and select Flat package.
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Review the summary and click Create package.
The wizard closes. Your new package appears at the top of the packages list with a Preparing status while it’s being built. Once it’s ready, the status changes to Up to date and a download link appears.
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Click Download and save the package file to your chosen location.
Method B: Self-serve direct download from Software Distribution
Use this method for smaller organizations, for self-managed devices, or when directing individual users to install the application themselves.
Before you start, confirm the following:
- Access is enabled for the users in the Adobe Admin Console.
- Users have been notified with the Software Distribution URL and sign-in instructions.
- Network connectivity to the required endpoints has been verified. For more information, see Network requirements in this article.
To self-install Adobe Cloud Drive:
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Confirm that access is enabled for the user in the Adobe Admin Console.
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Direct the user to experience.adobe.com/#/downloads.
note NOTE Users must have Adobe Cloud Drive access enabled in the Adobe Admin Console to see the Adobe Cloud Drive installer. Users without access will not see the installer listed. -
The user signs in with their Enterprise ID or Federated ID. The Adobe Cloud Drive installer appears in the Workfront tab of Software Distribution.
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The user downloads the installer for their platform and follows the installation steps in Install Adobe Cloud Drive.
After deploying, complete this verification on a test device:
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Launch Adobe Cloud Drive from the Applications folder (macOS) or the Start menu (Windows).
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Sign in with a user account that has Adobe Cloud Drive access enabled in the Adobe Admin Console.
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Confirm that Workfront project folders appear in the mounted drive in Finder or File Explorer.
note NOTE A user who signs in successfully but sees no folders does not have access to any Workfront projects. Add the user to a project in Workfront to populate the drive. -
Navigate to a project folder and create a small test file.
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Open Workfront in a browser and confirm that the test file appears in the corresponding project.
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Delete the test file after verification.
Manage ongoing user access to Adobe Cloud Drive
Once your organization is using Adobe Cloud Drive, follow these steps to add new users, or to remove users who no longer need access.
Add a new user
If the org-level switch is on, no Adobe Admin Console action is required. Ask the user to download and install Adobe Cloud Drive. If a licensed user still can’t access Adobe Cloud Drive, contact Adobe Support to confirm that their account was correctly migrated.
If the org-level switch is off:
- Sign in to adminconsole.adobe.com.
- Click Users in the top navigation bar, then click Roles in the left panel.
- Click ACD user in the roles list.
- Click Add Users, enter the user’s email address, and click Save.
Remove a user
If the org-level switch is on, any licensed user has access to Adobe Cloud Drive. To remove access for a specific user without removing their Workfront license, turn the org-level switch off and add all other users to the ACD user role, excluding the user you want to block.
If the org-level switch is off and the user is in the ACD user role:
- Sign in to adminconsole.adobe.com.
- Click Users in the top navigation bar, then click Roles in the left panel.
- Click ACD user in the roles list.
- Select the user and click Remove.
The user loses access to the mounted drive immediately. Files stored in Workfront aren’t deleted. The user’s local cache remains on their device until they uninstall the application.
Manage Workfront project access
Adobe Cloud Drive shows users the Workfront projects they have access to. Project access is managed in Workfront, not in the Adobe Admin Console. A user who has Adobe Cloud Drive access but belongs to no Workfront projects sees an empty mounted drive after sign-in. This is expected behavior.
For information about managing project access, see Manage projects and Share a project.
Network requirements
Adobe Cloud Drive requires outbound HTTPS (port 443) access to a set of Adobe endpoints. No inbound firewall rules are required. For the list of endpoints, see Adobe network endpoints.
Adobe Cloud Drive reads the system-level proxy configuration on both macOS and Windows. Authenticated proxies are supported.
Security considerations
Authentication
Adobe Cloud Drive authenticates users through Adobe IMS (Identity Management System). Users sign in with their Enterprise ID or Federated ID. If your organization uses SSO configured in the Adobe Admin Console, users authenticate through your identity provider and don’t need separate Adobe credentials.
Data in transit and at rest
- All communication between Adobe Cloud Drive and Adobe services uses TLS 1.2 or higher.
- Files stored in Adobe cloud storage are encrypted at rest.
- Files cached locally use OS-level disk encryption when FileVault (macOS) or BitLocker (Windows) is enabled on the device.
File access control
File access follows Workfront project permissions. Users see and interact only with projects they have permissions to, as their Workfront access level allows.
The root folder of each Workfront project is read-only in the desktop view. Users can’t rename, move, or delete a project root folder from Finder or File Explorer. They can create folders, subfolders, and files at any depth inside a project folder, subject to their Workfront permissions.
Troubleshoot common issues
For end-user troubleshooting steps, see Troubleshoot Adobe Cloud Drive. The issues listed below are specific to administrators.
User can’t find the Adobe Cloud Drive installer in Software Distribution
Cause: Adobe Cloud Drive access is not enabled for the user in the Adobe Admin Console.
Resolution:
- Sign in to adminconsole.adobe.com and click Users.
- Search for the user and click their name.
- Click the Roles tab and verify whether Adobe Cloud Drive is enabled.
Cause: Creative Cloud All Apps is provisioned in a different IMS organization from Workfront.
Resolution: No resolution currently available.
User installed the application and signed in, but sees no folders in the drive
Cause: The user doesn’t have permissions to any Workfront projects.
Resolution:
- In Workfront, confirm the user has permissions to at least one project.
- If not, then share a project with the user.
- Ask the user to wait up to five minutes for the project folder to appear.
- If the folder still doesn’t appear after five minutes, ask the user to quit Adobe Cloud Drive and relaunch it.
User can’t sign in to Adobe Cloud Drive
Cause: The user’s Adobe Admin Console account is inactive, or their identity isn’t configured correctly.
Resolution:
- In the Adobe Admin Console, click Users and search for the user.
- Confirm the user’s account status is Active.
- Confirm the user’s email domain is a claimed domain in your Admin Console directory.
- If your organization uses SSO, confirm the user’s account is active in your identity provider.
- Ask the user to try signing in again.
Files are not syncing after the user saves
Cause: The file wasn’t saved explicitly, or there is a network connectivity issue.
Resolution:
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Confirm with the user that they saved the file using File > Save in the application. Closing an application or relying on auto-save doesn’t trigger sync.
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Confirm the user has internet access and can reach
*.adobe.comand*.workfront.com. -
Ask the user to check the Adobe Cloud Drive icon in the menu bar (macOS) or system tray (Windows) for an error indicator.
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If an error is present, ask the user to quit Adobe Cloud Drive, relaunch it, and save the file again.
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If the issue persists, collect the application log:
- macOS:
~/Library/Logs/Adobe/AdobeCloudDrive/ - Windows:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp\Adobe\AdobeCloudDrive\
- macOS:
A conflicted copy of a file appeared in the project folder
Cause: Two users saved changes to the same file before either version synced to the cloud. Adobe Cloud Drive preserved both versions automatically.
The conflicting copy uses this naming format: filename (Conflicted copy from device_name on date_time).extension
For example: project_brief (Conflicted copy from jsmith's MacBook Pro on 2026-06-15-10-45-19).docx
Resolution:
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Ask both users which version is authoritative.
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Copy any needed content from the conflicted copy into the primary file.
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Delete the conflicted copy after reconciling the two versions.
note NOTE Adobe Cloud Drive doesn’t use file locking. To prevent conflicts when multiple users edit the same file, coordinate editing through Workfront task assignments or approval workflows before multiple users access the same file from the desktop.
User can’t create a folder or file in the project
Cause A: The user is trying to create a folder or file at the project root level. Project root folders are currently read-only in Adobe Cloud Drive. Root-level folders represent Workfront projects, which are created and managed in Workfront.
Resolution:
- Ask the user to navigate into any existing subfolder within the project and create the file or folder there.
- If the user needs a new top-level folder inside the project, ask them to create it in Workfront first. It then appears in Adobe Cloud Drive.
Cause B: The user doesn’t have editing permissions on the Workfront project.
Resolution:
- In Workfront, check the user’s permissions on the project (View, Contribute, or Manage).
- Update the user’s permissions to Contribute or Manage if they need to create or edit files.