FileZilla FTP Client
A common FTP application that we recommend for new site administrators is Filezilla’s FTP Client for its ease of use and wealth of documentation for local configurations.
Downloading The Installer
Picking the right version of FileZilla is rather simple.
We’ll start by going to the download page here:
https://filezilla-project.org/download.phpThe next step will depend on what operating system you have on your computer. If it is Windows, click the link under the bold title Windows (64bit). If your operating system is Mac OS, click the link under the bold title Mac OS X.Note: For this part of the guide, we’ll be assuming that your operating system is Windows. Install and setup should be extremely similar on Mac OS once FileZilla is downloaded.
The environment used for this article is Windows, so the link titled FileZilla_3.35.2_win64-setup.exe was clicked and it is now downloaded to the local PC.
Installing The Client
Now that the installer has been download, you will need to execute the file to start the installation process. To do so, navigate to the directory that you downloaded the installer file to and double-click it to run the installer.
1. For the first step of the FileZilla installer, click ‘I agree’.
2. Next, click ‘Only for me (username)’, then click ‘Next >’.
3. Then, ensure all the boxes in the image below are checked, then click ‘Next >’.
4. After that, select the location you want to install FileZilla or leave it at default. Click ‘Next >’ when you are done.
5. Once the location is decided, choose the name of the Start Menu Folder, or leave it at default. Click ‘Install’ when ready.
6. After ensuring the box ‘Start FileZilla now’ is checked, click ‘Finish’.
Configuring Your First Domain
Once the FTP client has been installed successfully, you are then ready to configure your first FTP site on the client. While this is not a required step to establish an FTP connection, taking the time to configure an FTP site will allow for you to initiate FTP connections with a single click instead of manually re-entering connection settings each time that you need to upload or download files from your site.
To configure your first FTP site, please follow the steps below:
1. Click the button at the top-left of the window labeled [1] in the image below.
2. Click on New Site as outlined in the image below.
Refer to the following image, then the explanation of each labeled box below it.
4. The description of each field is below:
This will be the label for your website’s FTP connection. Name it whatever you would like.
This is the Host IP of your website’s FTP. You should be able to find this information in your website’s ‘New Account’ e-mail Hostek.com sent when you registered with us.
This is the FTP protocol for your site. Keep it on the default ‘FTP - File Transfer Protocol’ for now.
This is the encryption for your FTP connection. Keep it on the default ‘Use explicit FTP over TLS if available’ for now.
This is how we’re going to log into the FTP server. Select ‘Normal’ from the drop-down.
This is the FTP username for your website. You should be able to find this information in your website’s ‘New Account’ e-mail Hostek.com sent when you registered with us.
This is the password for your FTP connection. As above, you should be able to find this information in your website’s ‘New Account’ e-mail Hostek.com sent when you registered with us.
Once you’ve done the above, click this button labeled ‘OK’ to save.
5. Click the little arrow in the top-left as shown in the picture below, then click what you labeled your new site.
6. You may get a pop-up as seen below. This is just telling you that the FTP connection is secured by encryption. Make sure the box labeled [1] is checked, then click OK.F
7. You should now be connected to your website via FTP! See the image below for a brief explanation of the different areas inside FileZilla.
8. The box labeled [A] is your computer’s files. The box labeled [B] is your site’s files. You may drag and drop from [A] to [B] to upload files, or drag and drop from [B] to [A] to download files.
Use the box above [A] to navigate through your computer’s files. Use the box above [B] to navigate through your site’s files.