---
title: "Object Store"
description: "The Object Store is an organization-specific key-value storage location to save and retrieve data in QuantConnect's cache. It's similar to a hash table."
canonical: https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/object-store
markdown: https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/object-store.md
language: python
source: https://github.com/QuantConnect/Documentation/tree/master/01%20Cloud%20Platform/13%20Object%20Store
modified: 2026-10-30
index: https://www.quantconnect.com/llms.txt
---

# Object Store

[Documentation](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2.md) > [Cloud Platform](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform.md) > Object Store

> Code examples are shown in Python. Append `?lang=csharp` to this URL for the C# version of this page.

## Introduction

The Object Store is an organization-specific key-value storage location to save and retrieve data in QuantConnect's cache. Similar to a dictionary or hash table, a key-value store is a storage system that saves and retrieves objects by using keys. A key is a unique string that is associated with a single record in the key-value store and a value is an object being stored. Some common use cases of the Object Store include the following:

- Transporting data between the backtesting environment and the research environment.
- Training machine learning models in the research environment before deploying them to live trading.

The Object Store is shared across the entire organization. Using the same key, you can access data across all projects in an organization.

The Object Store is available to paid organizations. In Free organizations, algorithms that try to save data log "The current user does not have permission to write to the organization Object Store". To use the Object Store, [upgrade your organization](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/organizations/billing.md#07-Change-Organization-Tiers) to a paid tier.

You can store, cache, and reuse QuantConnect data in the Object Store for your projects that run in QuantConnect Cloud. The files stay in the cloud, and we monitor Object Store contents. For more information, see [Data Use](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/security-and-ip.md#08-Data-Use).

## View Storage

The Object Store page shows all the data your organization has in the Object Store. To view the page, log in to the Algorithm Lab and then, in the left navigation bar, click [Organization > Object Store](https://www.quantconnect.com/organization/object-store).

![Table of files and their sizes](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/i/tu/view-cloud-platform-object-store.png)

The displayed usage takes some time (about one hour) to reflect the actual value after you add or remove files.

To view the metadata of a file (including it's path, size, and a content preview), click one of the files in the table.

![Panel of metadata](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/i/tu/view-cloud-platform-object-store-metadata.png)

## Upload Files

Follow these steps to upload files to the Object Store:

1. Open the [Object Store](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/object-store.md#02-View-Storage) page.
2. Navigate to the directory in the Object Store where you want to upload files.
3. Click **Upload**.
4. Drag and drop the files you want to upload.

Alternatively, you can [add data to the Object Store in an algorithm](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/writing-algorithms/object-store.md#04-Save-Data) or [notebook](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/research-environment/object-store.md#04-Save-Data).

## Download Files

Downloading files from the Object Store is only available to [Institution](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/organizations/tier-features.md#06-Institution-Tier) tier organizations that have signed QuantConnect's derived data agreement. It is not available on the Free, Quant Researcher, Team, or Trading Firm tiers, and [adding storage](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/object-store.md#07-Edit-Storage-Plan) doesn't change that.

The restriction applies to every file in the Object Store, including files you upload and files your algorithms generate. Section 2.6 of our [Terms of Service](https://www.quantconnect.com/terms) treats all Object Store contents as QuantConnect data. The platform can't distinguish your own files from data derived from licensed datasets, so there is no per-file or per-organization exception. Keeping the data in the cloud is what lets QuantConnect offer licensed data at a fraction of its direct cost. Even permissioned organizations can only download derived data such as machine learning models and signal files. Raw price and alternative data can never be downloaded.

If your organization isn't permissioned, the **Download** action on the Object Store page is unavailable, and the [API](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/api-reference/object-store-management/get-object-store-file.md) and [CLI](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/lean-cli/object-store.md#04-Download-Files) return `Organization does not have derivative export enabled`. Use the data in the cloud instead:

- Read the file in the [Research Environment](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/research-environment/object-store.md#05-Read-Data) or in a [backtest](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/writing-algorithms/object-store.md#05-Read-Data) and do the analysis there. For a full walkthrough, see [Example for Logging](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/writing-algorithms/object-store.md#13-Example-for-Logging).
- For values a backtest produces, plot them and use [Download Results](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/backtesting/results.md#17-Download-Results), or log them within your [log quota](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/organizations/resources.md#09-Log-Quotas).
- Project source files don't need the Object Store. Pull them with [lean cloud pull](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/lean-cli/projects/cloud-synchronization.md#02-Pulling-Cloud-Projects).

If you represent a fund or company and are interested in the Institution tier but unsure if it's right for you, [contact us](https://www.quantconnect.com/appointments) to schedule a demo with QuantConnect to learn more.

If your organization is permissioned, follow these steps to download files and directories from the Object Store:

1. Open the [Object Store](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/object-store.md#02-View-Storage) page.
2. Navigate to the directory in the Object Store where you want to download files and directories.
3. Select the file(s) and directory(ies) to download.
4. Click **Download**.
5. Wait while QuantConnect processes the request.
6. Click the **Download** link that appears.

## Storage Sizes

The Object Store is available to paid organizations. Paid organizations get 50 MB of free storage in the Object Store and can subscribe to more storage space. Storage subscriptions add capacity only; they don't enable [downloading files](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/object-store.md#04-Download-Files). The following table shows the cost of the supported storage sizes:

| Storage Size (GB) | Storage Files (-) | Monthly Cost ($) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 0.05 | 1,000 | 0 |
| 2 | 20,000 | 12 |
| 5 | 50,000 | 24 |
| 10 | 100,000 | 60 |
| 50 | 500,000 | 120 |

## Delete Storage

Follow these steps to delete storage from the Object Store:

1. Open the [Object Store](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/object-store.md#02-View-Storage) page.
2. Navigate to the directory in the Object Store where you want to delete files.
3. Click the check box next to the files you want to delete.
4. Click **Actions** and then click **Delete** from the drop-down menu.
5. Click **OK**.

Alternatively, you can [delete storage in an algorithm](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/writing-algorithms/object-store.md#06-Delete-Data) or [notebook](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/research-environment/object-store.md#06-Delete-Data).

## Edit Storage Plan

You need [storage billing permissions](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/organizations/members.md#09-Permissions) and a paid organization to edit the size of the organization's Object Store.

Follow these steps to edit the amount of storage available in your organization's Object Store:

1. Log in to the Algorithm Lab.
2. In the left navigation bar, click [Organization > Resources](https://www.quantconnect.com/organization/resources).
3. On the Resources page, scroll down to the **Storage Resources** and then click **Add Object Store Capacity**.
4. On the Pricing page, select a storage plan.
5. Click **Proceed to Checkout**.
   ![Project Object Store limit panel](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/i/tu/object-store-limit.webp)

## Research to Live Considerations

When you deploy a live algorithm, you can access the data within minutes of modifying the Object Store. Ensure your algorithm is able to handle a changing dataset.

The live environment's access to the Object Store is much slower than in research and backtesting. Limit the individual objects to less than 50 MB to prevent live trading access issues.

## Usage by Project

The Resources page shows the total storage used in your organization and the storage used by individual projects so that you can easily manage your storage space. To view the page, log in to the Algorithm Lab and then, in the left navigation bar, click [Organization > Resources](https://www.quantconnect.com/organization/resources).

![Organization Object Store usage panel](https://cdn.quantconnect.com/i/tu/view-object-store-storage-per-project.png)

## Special Folders

Your organization's Object Store includes a reserved `.assistant` folder that the [QuantConnect AI agents](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/ai-assistance/agents.md) read. It holds the custom [skills](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/ai-assistance/agents.md#14-Custom-Skills), [memories](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/ai-assistance/agents.md#15-Custom-Memories), and [templates](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/ai-assistance/agents.md#16-Custom-Templates) that let the agents apply your own expertise, remember each project's context, and start new projects from your own scaffolds.

The `.assistant` folder contains the following subfolders:

| Subfolder | Purpose |
| --- | --- |
| `skills` | Reusable instructions and conventions the agents apply. |
| `memories` | Facts the agents remember about each project, in one `<project_id> / memory.md` file per project. |
| `templates` | Your own project scaffolds for the agents to initialize for new projects. |

These files are shared across your organization. To add or update them, see [Upload Files](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/object-store.md#03-Upload-Files).