Using an FTP Program

FTP is an acronym for File Transfer Protocol. As the name suggests, FTP is used to transfer files between your computer and your website on HostMySite's web server. FTP programs allow you to connect to your website and quickly upload or download large numbers of files at a time. 

If you do not already have an FTP program on your computer, here is a list of a few different programs that we consistently recommend, and which we have additional Knowledgebase articles for:

• Filezilla - We frequently recommend Filezilla to our customers because it is powerful and simple to use. This is a free FTP client that can be used on multiple operating systems (Windows, Linux, Mac).
  
• WS_FTP LE  - This is the free, light edition of WS_FTP.  This can only be installed on Windows-based computers.
  
• WinSCP - This is a free, open-source program that supports FTP, among other transfer protocols. This program can only be used on Windows.
  
• CuteFTP - CuteFTP is very popular among our customers, however, it is not a free download. There is a free trial that can be downloaded before buying. CuteFTP is available for both Windows and Mac.

If you do not already have a FTP program, choose one from the list above, download it, and install it on your computer. As mentioned, we have tutorial videos for each of the above programs in our Knowledgebase for assisting you in connecting.

Even if you have a different program than the ones mentioned above, connecting to your website with that FTP program is still easy:

• Open your FTP program (it will prompt for the FTP connection information).
• Enter your domain or IP address (ex.: "domain.com" or "1.2.3.4").
• Enter your FTP username (ex.: ftpusername) and FTP password.
• Press the connect button or its equivalent. It can look similar to this:

The following articles will help you find and/or update your FTP connection information:

How to Set Your Default Windows FTP User Password

How to Set Your Default Linux FTP User Password

If you have any further questions that were not answered in this article, please contact us.