Import files from Backblaze in PHP with open-source SDKs

Backblaze B2 is a popular cloud-storage service valued for its affordability, straightforward REST API, and dependable performance. In this DevTip you’ll learn how to import objects from B2 into a PHP app with two open-source SDKs: gliterd/backblaze-b2 and obregonco/backblaze-b2. We’ll cover installation, code samples, and practical tips for production use.

Requirements

• PHP 7.4 + with the ext-curl extension
• Composer
• A Backblaze B2 account with an App Key (key ID + application key)

Choose an SDK

Two community SDKs receive regular maintenance and cover most B2 features:

• gliterd/backblaze-b2 – lightweight, B2 API v1
• obregonco/backblaze-b2 – fuller feature set, B2 API v2

Install the one you prefer:

composer require gliterd/backblaze-b2:^1.5  # v1 API, simple
# Or
composer require obregonco/backblaze-b2:^2.0 # v2 API, advanced

Import a file with gliterd/backblaze-b2

<?php
require 'vendor/autoload.php';

use BackblazeB2\Client;

try {
    $client = new Client(
        getenv('B2_ACCOUNT_ID'),
        getenv('B2_APPLICATION_KEY')
    );

    $client->download([
        'BucketName' => 'my-bucket',
        'FileName'   => 'photos/sunset.jpg',
        'SaveAs'     => __DIR__.'/sunset.jpg', // remove key to keep in memory
    ]);

    echo 'Downloaded!';
} catch (\Throwable $e) {
    error_log($e->getMessage());
}

Import a file with obregonco/backblaze-b2

<?php
require 'vendor/autoload.php';

use obregonco\B2\Client;

try {
    $client = new Client(getenv('B2_ACCOUNT_ID'), [
        'keyId'          => getenv('B2_KEY_ID'),
        'applicationKey' => getenv('B2_APPLICATION_KEY'),
    ]);
    $client->version = 2; // use B2 API v2
    $file = $client->download([
        'BucketName' => 'my-bucket',
        'FileName'   => 'photos/sunset.jpg',
    ]);
    file_put_contents(__DIR__.'/sunset.jpg', $file);
} catch (\Throwable $e) {
    error_log($e->getMessage());
}

Common tasks

List objects in a bucket

gliterd/backblaze-b2:

$files = $client->listFiles([
    'BucketId'     => 'your-bucket-id',
    'MaxFileCount' => 100,
]);

obregonco/backblaze-b2:

$files = $client->listFiles([
    'BucketName'   => 'your-bucket-name',
    'MaxFileCount' => 100,
]);

Check whether a file exists

obregonco/backblaze-b2 makes this especially simple:

$exists = $client->fileExists([
    'BucketName' => 'my-bucket',
    'FileName'   => 'photos/sunset.jpg',
]);

Which SDK should you pick?

Secure and efficient file handling

• Store credentials in environment variables and load them via getenv() or a secrets manager.
• Use application keys with the least privileges necessary.
• Stream large downloads directly to disk (SaveAs) to avoid memory spikes.
• Implement exponential back-off on 429 Too Many Requests responses.
• Cache listFiles results if you query the same paths frequently.

Conclusion

Integrating Backblaze B2 into PHP is straightforward with these two open-source SDKs—pick the one that best matches your project’s complexity and start importing files today. If you later need to import entire directories or chain processing steps, Transloadit’s /backblaze/import Robot can take that work off your hands.