File Transfer Protocol

File Transfer Protocol, popularly known as FTP defines the rules for transfering files to and from your web server. Here, we will see how to transfer files to and from web server and the commands necessary for the same.

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Getting started with FTP

First of all, you need to download a software to transfer files. There are a number of softwares that you can download for free. Some of the most commonly used FTP softwares are Filezilla and SmartFTP.

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Using FTP

To start using FTP software, you need to authenticate yourself. For this you need to provide certain information which includes:
Host: The host name is your domain name address.

Username: This is your hosting user ID.

Password: This is your hosting password.

Port: The default port for FTP unless configured is 21 else you have to provide it when connecting.

The above fields can have different names depending upon the FTP client you use. Below is a screenshot of Filezilla.

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Start transferring files

Once you have been connected to your server, you can start transferring files. You can browse the folders on your computer on the left side and the folders on your server will be displayed on the right side.

To transfer a file/folder to your server

1. On the left side, you need to browse that file/folder on your computer.
2. On the right side, locate the directory where you want to transfer the file.
3. Right click on the file/folder that you want to transfer and upload it.

To transfer a file/folder to your computer

1. On the right side, locate the file/directory on your web server.
2. On the left side, loacte the folder where you want to transfer the file.
3. Right click on the file/directory that you want to transfer and download it.