Using FileZilla

FileZilla is a free, open-source FTP solution that offers both a client and server version. It's widely used for its reliability and user-friendly interface, supporting FTP, FTPS, and SFTP. FileZilla facilitates the transfer of files between local and remote servers. It's appreciated for its drag-and-drop functionality, site manager, and transfer queue features, making it a preferred choice for web developers and administrators who need a powerful yet straightforward tool for managing file transfers across various server types. 

Learn more and download at https://filezilla-project.org/.

Getting Started

Before starting with FileZilla, below is a screenshot of the areas you will be working with. 

  1. Connection Area and Settings
  2. Your Local Computer
  3. The Remote Server or Host
  4. The Status Area of Downloads and Transfers

filezilla_areas.png

After you get familiar with FileZilla, you'll need to head over to the site's WebHost to locate the FTP/SFTP credentials. If you are unsure where to locate these - contact the WebHost support or search their documentation.

The following will be needed from the WebHost:

  1. FTP/SFTP Server/Host Address.
  2. FTP/SFTP Username.
  3. FTP/SFTP Password.
  4. FTP/SFTP Port.

Once these items have been retrieved, it is time to connect to the remote server/host!

Depending on the remote server FTP configuration, you may need to prepend the address with one of the below. The first two are the most commonly used.

  • ftp:// for normal FTP with optional encryption
  • sftp:// for SSH file transfer protocol
  • ftps:// for FTP over TLS (implicit)
  • ftpes:// for FTP over TLS (explicit)

Enter your credentials into the FileZilla QuickConnect bar and select Quickconnect.

filezilla_quickconnect_creds.jpg

  Note that the Username field has @example.com - some SFTP configurations require
  this to be appended to the Username but not all of the time.

If this is the first time you connect, you will see a pop-up about SSH host keys - please feel free to ignore any warnings to continue.

FileZilla will connect directly to the FTP/SFTP user's Home directory if everything goes well.

filezilla_connected.jpg

Once connected, you can browse your local computer's file system and the file system on the remote server/host. You can drag and drop directories and files and right-click on directories or files to download/upload them.

Note: Filezilla cannot extract zip files - that must be done before uploading.

Have more questions? Submit a request