What is FTP?

FTP, or File Transfer Protocol, is a communication protocol commonly used to transfer files between a server and an end user’s local computer. While it has several other applications, it is most frequently used to upload/download your web hosting files. Whether you build the page yourself, use a web developer, or a website builder software, it is most likely that the files were uploaded using FTP. 

What is an FTP Client?

An FTP client is a program or app used to connect your computer to your web server. There are several ways to upload/download your website files (you can actually use the File Explorer in Windows), but the most common FTP clients are FileZilla or Core FTP for Windows/Linux and CyberDuck for macOS.

What are the Special FTP Accounts in my FTP Account list?

These are special FTP accounts that cPanel controls. Use these accounts to FTP using your cPanel password. There is also an account available for logging in to the server and viewing your account logs.

How do I create an FTP account?

To use FTP, you will need to create an FTP account in cPanel.

Step 1: Go to: https://manage.christianwebhost.com/ or click the "Login" button located at the top right of our website. Unless you change them, your login details are the email address and password used when the account was created.

Step 2: Once logged in, click the Services block and choose your cPanel service to access its management page.

Step 3: From the Actions menu on the left, click Login to cPanel (you do not need your cPanel credentials for this method).

Step 4: Navigate to the Files section and click FTP Accounts.

Step 5: Click Add FTP Account, and fill out the required information.

  • Log In: This is the name of the new account (the part before the @). cPanel will fill in the @domain.com automatically.
  • Domain: Select your domain from the drop-down menu if you have multiple add-on domains or subdomains.
  • Password: Enter the password for the new FTP account, or use the cPanel Password Generator.
  • Strength: This feature displays the relative strength of your password. It will turn green once it meets the minimum requirements.
  • Directory: This is the folder to which this account will have access. By default, cPanel creates a new folder using the login information, and the new account will have access to it only. For example, if you enter testftp in the Log In field and subdomain.com in the domain field, the default Directory will be public_html/subdomain.com/testftp. This will create a folder that is remotely accessible, but the user will only have access to that folder.
    • If you want this account to have access to the primary domain website files, you will need to enter public_html in this field.
    • If this account is for an addon domain or subdomain, you will enter public_html/[addon or subdomain].
    • If you want this account to have access to all the files on your account, leave this field blank.
  • Quota: This is how much disk space this account has available for uploads.

Step 6: After filling out the required fields, click Create FTP Account to complete the process.

Step 7: After creating the FTP account, you will be directed to the main screen. Here, you will see a list of all your current FTP accounts, along with several management options.

  • Log In: This is your FTP username.
  • Path: This is the folder to which this account has access.
  • Usage/Quota: This is how much disk space the account is using.
  • Actions:
    • Change Password: You can update the FTP password here.
    • Change Quota: You can update the quota for this account here.
    • Delete: Click this link to delete the account. You will also be given an option to delete the account’s folder and files.
    • Configure FTP Client: This section will display the settings required for connecting to an FTP client, as well as scripts for both Core FTP and Cyberduck.

How do I use FTP?

While different programs use different methods for connecting to FTP, they all require the same credentials (also called FTP settings). If you are using website-building software, they will most likely need this information as well to publish your site.

  • Host/Server: Typically, your domain name or ftp.domain.com, where domain.com is replaced with your domain. You can also use your server name if you are having DNS issues.
  • Username: This is your FTP account username. It is set up in your cPanel or other hosting service.
  • Password: This is the FTP password you set when creating the FTP account, and it is required for authentication.
  • Port: The default port for FTP is 21. Most FTP clients will default to this port.

Example:

Host: example.com
User: ftp@example.com
Pass: not123456
Port: 21

cPanel FTP Credentials / Settings

If you have cPanel-based hosting, you can view your settings in the FTP Accounts app, located in the Files section.

Step 1: From the FTP Accounts app, you should see a list of the FTP accounts at the bottom of the screen.

Step 2: Click Configure FTP Client to view the Manual settings required for your FTP client to connect.

  • There are also Configuration files that can be downloaded and then opened in their respective FTP client that will set up the FTP account for you.

Additional FTP Help

We have created separate guides for the most common FTP clients.

  • FileZilla
  • Core FTP
  • WinSCP
  • CyberDuck

If you have any further questions, please ask to speak with a live customer service specialist or email support@christianwebhost.com for further assistance.