How to upload my website with FTP using FileZilla

Before you start

Your website files belong in public_html.

Replace USERNAME and DOMAIN with your account details.

See Which control panel do I have: cPanel or DirectAdmin? if you are unsure which instructions to follow.

Create an FTP account in cPanel

1. Sign in to cPanel.
2. Open Files.
3. Select FTP Accounts.
4. Enter a username and a strong password.
5. Set the directory to public_html, or to a specific folder inside it.
6. Create the account.

The FTP username includes your domain as a suffix (for example jane@example.co.za). Copy the complete username displayed by cPanel.

Create an FTP account in DirectAdmin

1. Sign in to DirectAdmin.
2. Open Account Manager.
3. Select FTP Management.
4. Select Create FTP Account.
5. Enter a username and strong password.
6. Give the account access to the domain's public_html folder.
7. Save the account.

Copy the complete FTP username displayed by DirectAdmin.

Connect with FileZilla

1. Install and open FileZilla Client.
2. Select File and then Site Manager.
3. Select New site.
4. Enter these settings:

5. Select Connect.
6. Review the server certificate when prompted.
7. Accept it only if the hostname and certificate details are correct.

If your domain doesn't point to Webway yet, use the server's IP address as the host. cPanel shows the server IP as Shared IP Address in the General Information panel on the home page. On DirectAdmin, ask support if you can't see it.

Upload the website

FileZilla shows your computer on the left and the server on the right.

1. On the right, open the correct public_html folder.
2. On the left, find your website files.
3. Select the files and folders.
4. Drag them into public_html.
5. Wait until the transfer queue is empty.
6. Check the Failed transfers tab.
7. Open your domain in a browser.

Your home page will normally be named index.html or index.php.

File names are case-sensitive. Index.html and index.html are not the same file.

Remove the placeholder page

A new hosting account contains a placeholder file named index.html in public_html. Delete or replace it when uploading your website. Do not delete it if it belongs to an existing live website.

If FileZilla cannot connect

Check that:

• The host, username and password are correct.
• You used port 21.
• Explicit FTP over TLS is selected.
• Your domain points to Webway, or you used the server IP.
• Your internet connection is working.

Repeated failed FTP logins can cause the server firewall to block your public IP address. Customers cannot view or remove firewall blocks.

Stop retrying if correct details suddenly time out after several failed attempts. Open a support ticket and include your public IP address. See My website works for others but not for me.

Can I use SFTP instead?

SFTP is different from FTP over TLS. It uses SSH, which is switched off by default on shared hosting. Use FTP over TLS as above; it is encrypted too. If you need SSH or SFTP, open a support ticket to ask for it to be enabled.