Set up an SFTP client

An SFTP client is a tool that will accept your SFTP credentials and allow you to access your website’s files. There are many clients available, but if you don’t already have a preference, this guide provides instructions for FileZilla and Cyberduck.

This feature is available on sites with the WordPress.com Business and Commerce plans. If you have a Business plan, make sure to activate it. For free sites and sites on the Personal and Premium plans, upgrade your plan to access this feature.

To access SFTP with FileZilla, take the following steps:

1. Visit the FileZilla website to download FileZilla for Windows, MacOS, or Linux.
2. Open the program and navigate to File → Site Manager.
3. Click the “New site” button.
4. Set the ‘Protocol’ field to SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol), not FTP.
5. Add your SFTP credentials in the boxes provides
   • URL (in the Host field)
   • Port
   • Username
   • Password
6. Click the Connect button. If you are asked to accept the server’s host key, click OK to proceed.

In the default FileZilla layout, you’ll see your local files on the left and your site’s files on the right. You can drag and drop files between your local computer and your site.

To access SFTP with Cyberduck, take the following steps:

1. Download Cyberduck (macOS or Windows) from the Cyberduck website.
2. Open Cyberduck and click on the New Bookmark (+) button.
3. In the New Bookmark window, select SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) from the dropdown.
4. Set the Server, Port, Username and Password fields with your site’s credentials.

5. Close the New Bookmark window, and then double click on the bookmark to connect
6. If you are asked to accept the server’s fingerprint key, click Allow to proceed.
7. Once connected, you will find your site’s files in the Cyberduck interface: