File Upload Guide

What FTP information do I need to login?

To login to your ftp accounts you’ll use the following information:

FTP/File Protocol:

If your FTP program allows you to choose SFTP (or Secure FTP), then choose that option – it’s the most secure. The other option is just plain FTP, which isn’t as secure as it sends your login credentials (username and password) via clear text to the server.

Server Name:

If the domain has propagated (after updating the nameservers on your domain), then you can use your domain name for the ftp server, for example ftp.yourbusinessname.com.au.

If it hasn’t, you can use the server’s main IP address. This information is contained within your Welcome Email.

Username:

This is the same as your cPanel username for the account if you’re attempting to log into the main ftp account. If you’re trying to access a sub-ftp account (an ftp account you created through cPanel), then the username will resemble an e-mail address. For sub-ftp accounts, you will need to use something like username@yourbusinessname.com.au.

Password:

This is either the password for your cPanel account if accessing your main account, or the password you set for the sub-ftp account if accessing a sub-ftp account.

Port:

Please refer to your Welcome Email for the SFTP port number. Alternatively, for standard FTP, the port should default to 21. However if it doesn’t, that’s the port to use.

The public_html and www directories

When you login to a cPanel based hosting account for the first time, you’ll probably end up noticing that the public_html and www directories have the same files in them and it may be confusing as to which one to use. The answer? Whichever one you like.

The www directory is not a directory at all, but in reality a symbolic link. It works somewhat like a sci-fi warp. You click on it and you’re warped into the public_html directory. Depending on what you’re accessing the files with, it may retain the www name as the directory you’re in, or it may show the actually directory you’re in (/public_html).

Using either one will work the same way and you can even use the www when using paths in scripts if you like something that’s shorter.