Create and manage FTP accounts in Plesk

FTP is still the easiest way to move many or large files to a website. Every Plesk subscription has a main FTP user, and you can add extra accounts that only see one folder – useful for developers or designers. This guide shows how to set them up and connect securely.

Before you start

• An FTP client such as FileZilla, WinSCP or Cyberduck.
• Your subscription must allow additional FTP accounts.
• The server hostname or the domain's IP address.

Find the main FTP login

1. Go to Websites & Domains and click Hosting & DNS → Hosting (or Hosting Settings).
2. The Username under System user is the main FTP and SFTP user. Set a new password there if you do not know it.

Create an additional FTP account

1. Under the domain, click FTP (or FTP Access).
2. Click Add an FTP Account.
3. Enter the FTP account name.
4. Under Home directory, click the folder icon and choose the folder the user may access, for example /httpdocs/uploads. The user cannot go above it.
5. Set a strong password.
6. Choose read and write permissions if available.
7. Click OK.

Connect with FileZilla

1. Open FileZilla and choose File → Site Manager → New site.
2. Set Protocol to FTP and Encryption to Require explicit FTP over TLS.
3. Host: your domain or server hostname. Port: leave empty (21).
4. Logon type: Normal, then enter the FTP user name and password.
5. Click Connect and accept the certificate if asked.

For SFTP (over SSH, port 22) use the main system user and make sure Access to the server over SSH is enabled in hosting settings. Additional FTP accounts cannot use SFTP.

Change or remove an account

Click the account name in the FTP list to change its password or home directory. Tick accounts and click Remove to delete them. Removing an FTP account never deletes the files it uploaded.

Security tips

• Prefer FTPS or SFTP; plain FTP sends passwords unencrypted.
• Give temporary contractors their own account and remove it when the job is done.
• Fail2Ban's plesk-proftpd jail blocks password-guessing; see Fail2Ban in Plesk.

Troubleshooting

• 530 Login incorrect: wrong user name or password. Additional accounts use the exact name you set, without the domain.
• Connection hangs at "MLSD" or directory listing: passive mode ports are blocked. Ask your administrator to open the passive range in the firewall, or switch FileZilla to active mode temporarily.
• 553 or permission denied on upload: the folder is owned by another user, or the account is read-only.
• Connection refused on port 22: SSH is disabled for the system user, or a firewall blocks it.

Next steps

• Use the Plesk File Manager.
• Password-protect a directory in Plesk.
• Connect to a server over SSH.