Connect to cPanel hosting with FileZilla (FTPS and SFTP)

FileZilla is a free FTP client for Windows, macOS and Linux. It is the easiest way to upload a whole website or download a copy of your files. This guide sets it up with encryption so your password and files are not sent in plain text.

Before you start

• FileZilla Client installed from the official FileZilla project site.
• An FTP account: your main cPanel login or one you made in cPanel FTP Accounts.
• For SFTP: SSH access enabled for your main cPanel user (see SSH access and keys).

Add your hosting in Site Manager

1. Open FileZilla and choose File → Site Manager, then New site. Name it after your domain.
2. Fill in the General tab:

   Field	FTPS (recommended)	SFTP
   Protocol	FTP - File Transfer Protocol	SFTP - SSH File Transfer Protocol
   Host	ftp.yourdomain.com or server hostname	yourdomain.com or server hostname
   Port	21	22
   Encryption	Require explicit FTP over TLS	n/a
   Logon Type	Normal or Ask for password	Normal or Key file
   User	user@yourdomain.com or cPanel username	cPanel username only

3. On the Transfer Settings tab choose Passive and limit simultaneous connections to 4 or fewer.
4. Click Connect. The first time, FileZilla shows the server certificate; tick Always trust this certificate and click OK.

Upload your website

1. The left pane is your computer, the right pane is the server.
2. On the right, double-click public_html (the web root of your primary domain). Addon domains have their own folders; check the document root in cPanel → Domains.
3. On the left, open the folder that contains your site files, select them (not the folder itself, unless you want a subfolder) and drag them to the right pane.
4. Watch the queue at the bottom. Failed transfers appear in Failed transfers; right-click and choose Reset and requeue.

For big sites it is faster to upload one ZIP file and extract it with File Manager.

What to check afterwards

• Your home page file is named index.html or index.php.
• Files are 644 and folders 755. Right-click → File permissions in FileZilla. See file permissions in cPanel.

Troubleshooting

"Connection timed out after 20 seconds"

Port 21 or 22 is blocked by your network or your IP is blocked after failed logins. Try another network, then contact support with the IP from our IP checker.

"Failed to retrieve directory listing"

Use passive mode, and in Edit → Settings → FTP → Passive mode select Use the server's external IP address instead.

"530 Login incorrect"

Extra FTP accounts need the full name@domain username. SFTP accepts only the main cPanel username.

"Server sent unsorted certificate chain" or TLS warnings

Update FileZilla to the latest version and use the hostname as Host.

Next steps

• Create restricted FTP accounts
• Deploy with Git instead of FTP
• Download a full backup of your account