File Transfer - FTP: Getting started

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a method of connecting to your Web Hosting. It enables you to upload, download, and manage files on your Web Hosting account. You can use the cPanel File Manager to upload files to your server; however, the File Manager requires you to upload one file at a time. With FTP, you can upload multiple files faster and reduce the amount of time it takes to transfer the necessary files to your Web Hosting.

Table of Contents

1. What is FTP?
2. How to find your FTP settings
3. How to access your FTP
4. How to set up a new FTP account

1. What is FTP?

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol, which is a set of standardised rules that enables you to manage website files from your Hosting Manager. It is a client-server protocol that involves two programs (a client and a server) in order to process and implement requests over a network such as a local area network (LAN) or the internet. With FTP, you can implement actions on multiple files in the server at the same time, unlike in File Manager. In File Manager, you can upload, rename, or delete files one at a time only. Actions you can do with web files using FTP are the following:

• Upload
• Download
• Move
• Copy
• Delete
• Rename

Important Note: One good way to transfer multiple files to the server using FTP is to drag all your files at once to the destination folder on your server instead of uploading each file one at a time.

2. How to find your FTP settings

Your unique FTP login information can be found within your Hosting Manager or within the hosting Setup Email you received. You can also check your FTP settings, or change your FTP account password, by following the steps below:

1. Click on My Account at the top of the page.
2. Select Hosting Manager from the drop-down menu.
3. Enter your username and password, and click Log In.
4. On the Home page, in the left column menu, click FTP Access.

The information you will find here is your username, password, FTP Server, and FTP port. This is also where you can change or update your password.

3. How to access your FTP

Basically, there are two methods to access your FTP.

• Internet Browser
• FTP client

Internet Browser To access your FTP using your internet browser, you will need the following basic information:

Hostname:	This is the path of your FTP connection. Just add “FTP” before your domain name. Example: ftp.mydomain.com
Username:	This is your hosting username.
Password:	This is the key that will enable you to access your FTP connection.
Port:	This is the port that your FTP connection will be using. The default port is 21.

To make the connection, follow the steps below:

1. Open a web browser tab.
2. Put “FTP” before your domain name and TLD in the browser address.Example: FTP.[yourdomain].com
3. A pop-up box will appear. Type in your username and password. Click Log In.

The files and folders in your domain’s home directory will be displayed on the next page. FTP Client To access your FTP using your FTP client, you will need the following information:

Hostname:	yourdomain.com - You can use your domain for the hostname.
	ftp.yourdomain.com - All domains are set up with an "FTP" subdomain which can also be used as the host name.
	server IP address - Your server IP can also be used for the host name.
Username:	Connect to your FTP using your Hosting Manager username.
Password:	Connect to your FTP using your Hosting Manager password.
Port:	This is the port that your FTP connection will be using. The default port is 21.
Directory:	The main directory for your domain will be public_html. When you log in, you will be automatically pointed to this directory.

To manage your web space via FTP client, you need to have the appropriate software. The exact steps to configure each FTP client vary. Learn more from tutorials in the links below: Windows

• Windows 7 and 8
• Cute FTP
• FileZilla
• Smart FTP
• WS FTP
• Notepad++

Mac

• CyberDuck
• Fetch

Also, there are three FTP client software (Filezilla, CoreFTP, and Cyberduck) in Hosting Manager that you can readily install. To install and use any of these three programs to access your FTP, follow the steps below:

1. Click on My Account at the top of the page.
2. Select Hosting Manager from the drop-down menu.
3. Enter your username and password, and click Log In.
4. On the Home page, click the word Files or the [ v ] arrow symbol on the right side.
5. Click the FTP Accounts icon, which is next to the Directory Privacy icon.
6. On the next page, under FTP Accounts or Special FTP Accounts, choose the FTP account you want to connect to. Then, click the gear or Settings icon to open the drop-down menu.
7. Click Configure FTP Client.
8. Next page, Manual Settings and Configuration Files will be displayed. Go to Configuration Files. Select the FTP client you want to use and click Instructions (new window).
9. On the next page, follow the instructions on how to set up and use the software you selected.

4. How to set up a new FTP account

If you have your domain and web hosting with Forecast IT, then by default, you should already have an accessible FTP account. However, you can still add or set up a new FTP account. To know how to do this, click the link below:

• Set up a New FTP Account