Upload Files via FTP with FileZilla on DirectAdmin — Step by Step

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is the standard method for uploading files to a hosting server. It's ideal for transferring large numbers of files or entire directories where DirectAdmin's File Manager may be slow or inconvenient. FileZilla is the most popular free FTP client, supporting Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Download and Install FileZilla

Download the FileZilla Client (not Server) from filezilla-project.org. Choose the version for your OS and install normally — it's completely free.

Find Your FTP Credentials in DirectAdmin

Before connecting, you need four pieces of information. Find them in your Hosting welcome email or DirectAdmin:

• Host / FTP Server — e.g., ftp.yourdomain.com or the server's IP address
• Username — your hosting username (usually the same as DirectAdmin login)
• Password — your hosting password
• Port — typically 21 (FTP) or 22 (SFTP)

Create a Separate FTP Account in DirectAdmin

To give developers access to specific folders only, create a separate FTP account: DirectAdmin → FTP Management → Create FTP Account. Set the path to restrict access to the designated folder.

Connect FileZilla for the First Time

Method 1 — Quickconnect (Fast)

Enter the details in the top bar of FileZilla and click Quickconnect:

Host:     ftp.yourdomain.com
Username: yourusername
Password: yourpassword
Port:     21

Method 2 — Site Manager (Recommended — saves credentials)

1. Open File → Site Manager (or Ctrl+S)
2. Click New Site and name it, e.g., "AsiaGB Hosting"
3. Select Protocol: FTP or SFTP (if supported)
4. Enter Host, Port, Username, and Password
5. Logon Type: Normal (no password prompt each time)
6. Click Connect

Understanding the Folder Structure

After connecting, the right panel (Remote Site) shows your hosting's directory structure:

• public_html/ — Main web root. Files accessible via browser must be here
• public_html/wp-content/ — WordPress themes and plugins
• logs/ — Error logs (do not modify)
• private/ — Non-web-accessible folder; safe for config files and backups

Uploading Files

Drag and Drop

In the left panel (Local Site), navigate to your local files. Drag files or folders from the left panel and drop them into the target folder on the right. FileZilla begins uploading immediately.

Upload an Entire Folder

1. Navigate to the folder in the left panel
2. Right-click the folder → Upload
3. FileZilla will transfer all files including subfolders

Monitor Queue and Transfer Status

Check the bottom panel: Queued files shows pending transfers, Successful transfers shows completed files, and Failed transfers lists errors (right-click → Retry to re-attempt).

Common Issues

Connection Timeout / ECONNREFUSED

• Verify the hostname is correct (use the server IP if DNS hasn't propagated yet)
• Check that your local firewall isn't blocking port 21
• Try switching Transfer Mode to Passive: Edit → Settings → Connection → FTP → Passive mode

Permission Denied When Uploading

• Confirm the FTP user has write permission for the destination folder
• If using a separate FTP account, check the home path set in DirectAdmin

.htaccess File Not Visible in FileZilla

Files starting with . are hidden by default. Fix this in FileZilla: Server → Force showing hidden files.

SFTP vs FTP: Understanding the Security Difference

Many users treat FTP and SFTP as interchangeable — but there are important differences every web developer should understand:

All AsiaGB Hosting plans support SFTP on port 22. Switch from plain FTP by simply changing the Protocol setting in FileZilla's Site Manager — no additional configuration needed.

Advanced: Uploading via Command Line

For developers or teams who want to automate deployments rather than using a GUI, command-line tools offer a powerful alternative:

Upload a Single File with curl

# Upload a file via FTP
curl -T index.html "ftp://ftp.yourdomain.com/public_html/" \
  --user "yourusername:yourpassword"

# For SFTP, use rsync or scp instead

Sync an Entire Folder with rsync over SSH

# Sync entire local folder to hosting
rsync -avz --progress ./public/ \
  [email protected]:/home/yourusername/public_html/

# Sync only changed files (saves bandwidth)
rsync -avz --checksum ./public/ \
  [email protected]:/home/yourusername/public_html/

Setting File Permissions After Upload

Correct file permissions are critical for both website functionality and security. Here are the standard permission values:

• Regular files (.html, .php, .css, .js): Permission 644 — owner can read/write, group and others can read only
• Directories: Permission 755 — owner can read/write/execute, group and others can read/execute
• Config files with credentials (config.php): Permission 600 — owner only
• Writable folders (cache, uploads): Permission 755 or 777 for the folder itself

Change Permissions in FileZilla

Right-click any file or folder in the Remote Site panel → File permissions → enter the numeric value and click OK. Check Recurse into subdirectories to apply permissions across an entire directory tree.

# Change permissions via SSH command line
find /home/yourusername/public_html -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;
find /home/yourusername/public_html -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;