# Managing Buckets

> Create and manage buckets to organize your files in object storage.

Managing Buckets
----------------

Buckets are containers for storing objects (files) in your object storage. You can create multiple buckets to organize your files by purpose, application, or environment.

### What is a Bucket?

A bucket is a logical container for objects. Think of it like a top-level folder that holds all your files. Each bucket has a unique name within your object storage instance.

### Creating a Bucket

1. Navigate to your object storage instance
2. Go to the **Buckets** tab
3. Click **Create bucket**
4. Enter a **bucket name** (must be unique and follow naming rules)
5. Click **Create**

### Bucket Naming Rules

Bucket names must:

- Be between 3 and 63 characters long
- Start and end with a lowercase letter or number
- Contain only lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens
- Not contain consecutive hyphens
- Not be formatted as an IP address

**Valid examples:**
- `uploads`
- `my-app-assets`
- `backups-2026`

**Invalid examples:**
- `My-Bucket` (uppercase letters)
- `-uploads` (starts with hyphen)
- `a` (too short)

### Organizing Your Files

Consider creating separate buckets for:

- **uploads** - User-uploaded files
- **assets** - Static assets like images and documents
- **backups** - Database and application backups
- **logs** - Application log archives
- **media** - Large media files like videos

### Deleting a Bucket

To delete a bucket:

1. Navigate to your object storage instance
2. Go to the **Buckets** tab
3. Find the bucket you want to delete
4. Click the delete button
5. Confirm the deletion

**Note:** You can only delete empty buckets. Make sure to remove all objects from the bucket before attempting to delete it.

### Bucket Policies

Buckets are private by default. To control access:

- Create users with specific bucket permissions
- Generate access keys for programmatic access
- Use pre-signed URLs for temporary public access to specific files

### Next Steps

- [Users and Access Keys](/documentation/object-storage/users-and-access-keys) - Control who can access your buckets
- [Laravel Integration](/documentation/object-storage/laravel-integration) - Use buckets in your Laravel app