How to Use FTP to Upload Files to WordPress Without Password [Step By Step]

Have you ever needed to upload a massive plugin that WordPress couldn’t handle? Or dive deep into your website’s files to fix a mysterious error?

While WordPress is user-friendly, sometimes you need more direct control.

That’s where FTP (File Transfer Protocol), or more accurately, its secure sibling SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol), comes in.

This article is your comprehensive guide to understanding and using FTP with WordPress. We’ll cover everything from the basics of FTP to uploading files, troubleshooting how to connect securely, navigate your WordPress directory structure, uploading files, troubleshooting common FTP issues, and even how server management platforms such as RunCloud integrate with FTP.

Whether you’re a beginner blogger or a seasoned developer, mastering FTP can unlock a new level of control over your WordPress website. Stop relying solely on the WordPress dashboard – let’s learn how to take the reins!

What is FTP?

FTP is a standard network protocol used to transfer files between two computers on a computer network. It’s a set of rules that computers follow to copy files from one machine to another. While it’s been a fundamental part of the Internet for decades, standard FTP is inherently insecure.

How Does FTP Work?

FTP operates on a client-server model. The client (e.g., an FTP software like FileZilla) initiates a connection to the server (e.g., your web hosting server). FTP uses two separate channels for communication:

1. Control Channel (Port 21 – for plain FTP): This channel is used for sending commands and responses between the client and server. These commands include “login”, “list files”, “change directory”, “upload file”, “download file”, etc. The control channel establishes the connection and manages the session.
2. Data Channel (Various Ports): This channel is used for the actual transfer of file data.
3. With SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol), the process is different. SFTP is a subsystem of SSH (Secure Shell). It uses a single secure channel (usually port 22) for both commands and data transfer. All communication is encrypted, making it vastly more secure than standard FTP.

📖 Suggested read: FTP vs. SFTP – What’s The Difference & Why It Matters

How to Use FTP to Upload Files to WordPress via SSH Key: Step-by-Step Guide

In this guide, we will walk you through using FTP (specifically, the secure version, SFTP) to upload files to your WordPress website. While WordPress offers a built-in file uploader for media and plugins, FTP provides more control and is essential for certain tasks, like uploading large files, modifying theme or plugin files directly, or troubleshooting.

Step 1: Choose an FTP Client

An FTP client is a software application that allows you to connect to a remote server and transfer files. Many free and paid options are available, but for security and ease of use, we strongly recommend choosing one that supports SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol).

We recommend you take a look at our previous blog post titled “The Best 5 FTP Client for Windows and Mac” – but if you’re in a hurry, here are some popular and reliable choices:

• FileZilla (Free, Cross-Platform): A widely used, well-regarded, free, open-source FTP client. It’s available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• WinSCP (Free, Windows): Another popular free and open-source client, specifically for Windows.
• Cyberduck (Free/Paid, Windows & macOS): A versatile client that supports FTP and SFTP and cloud storage services like Amazon S3 and Google Cloud Storage. It has a simple, drag-and-drop interface.
• Transmit (Paid, macOS): A powerful and feature-rich FTP client for macOS, known for its speed and reliability.

We’ll assume you’ve chosen FileZilla for this guide, but the general steps will be similar for other clients.

📖 Suggested read: ​How to Use SFTP with FileZilla to Securely Transfer Files on RunCloud

Step 2: Connect with FTP Credentials from Your Hosting Provider

Before you can connect, you’ll need your SFTP credentials. These are not the same as your WordPress admin credentials. Your hosting provider (or server management platform) will provide these details. You’ll typically need the following:

• Host (or Server Address): This is usually a domain name (e.g., example.com) or an IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.1).
• Username: This is your SFTP username, often specific to your web hosting account or a user you created on your server.
• SSH Key: A secret key (like a password) associated with your SFTP username.
• Port: This is usually 22 for SFTP. Never use port 21 (which is for unencrypted FTP) unless you have a very specific and secure reason.

Finding Your Credentials: The exact steps for finding your credentials will vary for different cloud providers. However, if you’re using RunCloud, this process is quick and painless. Navigate to your server, then to “Web Applications”. Select your WordPress installation, and note down the IP address, username, and root path (highlighted in the image below).

After this, ensure that the SFTP user you noted in the previous step has SSH access to your server by navigating to the SSH menu of the server section. If the username is missing from the list, follow RunCloud documentation to learn more about generating and storing SSH keys in the RunCloud vault.

After this, navigate to your server’s “Security” section and ensure that TCP traffic is allowed on the port being used for SSH. It uses port 22 by default, but server administrators often change it to something unique.

Once you have gathered all the necessary information, you can open your FTP software and create a connection. In Filezilla, you can do this by clicking on “File > Site Manager”.

In the Site Manager menu, fill in the following information:

• Protocol: SFTP
• Hostname: IP address that you noted earlier
• Port: If you are not using the default port (22), then you need to enter your port number here
• Logon Type: Key file
• User: Enter the username that you noted earlier
• Key File: Browse the files on your computer and select the private SSH key for your server

After entering the above information, you can connect to the server. But we encourage you to go one step further and switch to the Advanced tab.

On this tab, you can set the default local directory (the folder where WordPress is installed on your computer) and the default remote directory (the path you noted earlier).

📖 Suggested read: How to Check if TCP Port is Open, Closed, or in Use on Linux?

Finally, you can click “Connect” to initiate the connection with your server. The first time you connect to a server via SFTP, your client will likely display a warning about an unknown host key. This is a security measure to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. Verify the key’s fingerprint against the one provided by your hosting provider (if available). If it matches, you can safely accept the key and proceed.

Step 3: Navigate to Your WordPress Directory Structure

Once connected, you’ll typically see two panes in your FTP client:

• Left Pane (Local Site): This shows the files and folders on your local computer.
• Right Pane (Remote Site): This shows the files and folders on your web server.

You need to navigate to the correct directory on your server where your WordPress files are located. The exact path can vary depending on your hosting setup, but if you follow the steps described above, you will be in your WordPress directory.

⚠️ Important: Do not modify core WordPress files (in wp-admin and wp-includes) unless you know what you’re doing. Most file uploads will be within the wp-content directory.

Step 4: Uploading Files to WordPress

Now that you’re in the correct directory, uploading files is straightforward:

1. Locate the file(s) on your local computer (left pane).
2. Navigate to the destination directory on the server (right pane). For example, if you’re uploading a new theme, navigate to wp-content/themes/.
3. Drag and Drop: Drag the file(s) or folder(s) from the left pane (local) to the right pane (remote). Alternatively, right-click the file(s) and choose “Upload”.
4. File Transfer Queue: FileZilla will show the progress of the upload in a queue at the bottom of the window.

Things to keep in mind:

• Overwriting Files: If a file with the same name already exists in the destination directory, the FTP client will usually ask you if you want to overwrite it. Be cautious when overwriting files, especially if you’re unsure what they are.
• File Permissions: Sometimes, you might need to adjust file permissions after uploading. This controls who can read, write, and execute files. Incorrect permissions can cause issues with your website. Your hosting provider or RunCloud documentation can provide guidance on appropriate file permissions. Generally, folders are 755, and files are 644.

Step 5: Verifying Successful Uploads

After the upload is complete, it’s a good idea to verify that the files were transferred correctly:

1. Check the FTP Client: FileZilla (and most other clients) will indicate successful transfers in the queue. Look for any error messages.
2. Test on Your Website: If you uploaded a plugin or theme, go to your WordPress admin dashboard and check if it appears in the Plugins or Themes section. Activate it and test its functionality. If you upload media files, check the Media Library.
3. Check File Permissions (if necessary): If you’re experiencing issues, use your FTP client or RunCloud’s file manager to check and adjust file permissions as needed.

By following these steps, you can confidently use FTP (SFTP) to upload files to your WordPress website. This gives you greater control over your site’s files and enables you to perform tasks that might not be possible through the WordPress admin interface alone.

📖 Suggested read: How to Fix WordPress Stuck in Maintenance Mode? [100% WORKING]

Troubleshooting Common FTP Issues

Even with careful setup, you might encounter issues when using FTP to connect to your WordPress server. This section covers some of the most common problems and provides solutions to get you back on track.

Connection Errors

Connection errors are often the first hurdle. Here’s a breakdown of common causes and how to fix them:

“Connection refused” or “Could not connect to server”

This usually indicates a problem with the server address, port, or firewall. To solve this issue, try the following steps:

• Verify Credentials: Double-check the Host/Server Address, Username, Password, and Port. Ensure you’re using port 22 for SFTP (and not 21 for insecure FTP). Even a small typo can prevent connection. Copy and paste the credentials directly from your hosting provider’s control panel or RunCloud dashboard to avoid errors.
• Check the Server Status: Is your server up and running? Your hosting provider’s status page or RunCloud’s server overview will show you if there are any known outages.
• Firewall Issues: A firewall on your computer, router, or server might be blocking the connection.
  • Local Firewall: Temporarily disable your computer’s firewall (e.g., Windows Firewall, macOS Firewall) to see if it’s the culprit. If it is, you must add an exception for your FTP client (e.g., FileZilla) to allow connections on port 22.
  • Router Firewall: Check your router’s configuration to ensure it’s not blocking outgoing connections on port 22. You might need to forward port 22 to your computer’s internal IP address.
  • Server Firewall: If you’re managing your server (e.g., with RunCloud), check the server’s firewall rules. Ensure that port 22 is open for incoming connections. RunCloud provides a firewall management interface that simplifies this.
• Incorrect Protocol: Make sure you’re using SFTP, not plain FTP. Your FTP client should have an option to select the protocol.

“Authentication failed”

This means your username or password (or both) is incorrect.

• Double-Check Credentials: Carefully re-enter your username and password. Pay attention to capitalization, as usernames and passwords are often case-sensitive.
• Reset Password: If you’re unsure of your password, reset it through your hosting provider’s control panel.
• SSH Key Authentication (Advanced): If you use SSH key authentication instead of a password, ensure your private key is correctly configured in your FTP client, and the corresponding public key is authorized on the server.

📖 Suggested read: 3 Ways to Fix Too Many Authentication Failures SSH Root? [SOLVED]

File Permissions Problems

Incorrect file permissions can prevent your WordPress website from functioning correctly. When uploading files, you might see errors such as “Permission denied,” or your website might display errors or behave unexpectedly.

Linux (and Unix-like) systems use file permissions to control who can read, write, and execute files and directories. A standard permission set is 755 (owner: read/write/execute, group: read/execute, others: read/execute) for directories and 644 (owner: read/write, group: read, others: read) for files.

“Permission denied” when uploading

If you see this error, then you likely don’t have write permission to the target directory. Use your FTP client to change the directory’s permissions.

Changing Permissions in FileZilla:

1. Right-click on the file or directory.
2. Choose “File permissions…”
3. Enter the numeric value (e.g., 755) or check the appropriate boxes for read, write, and execute.
4. Optionally, check “Recurse into subdirectories” to apply the changes to all files and folders within the directory.

Alternatively, RunCloud provides a one-click option named “Fix Permissions” that will fix all permissions issues. Follow the instructions described in the RunCloud documentation to learn how to resolve file access issues on your server.

Timeouts and Other Common Issues

Connection Timeouts

If your connection is slow or unstable, the FTP client might time out before a transfer completes. You can try the following approaches to fix this:

• Increase Timeout Settings: Most FTP clients have settings to adjust the connection timeout. Increase the timeout value (e.g., to 60 seconds or more).
• Use a Wired Connection: For a more stable connection, use a wired Ethernet connection instead of Wi-Fi.

Transfer Failures

Sometimes, files might fail to transfer completely; ensure you have enough disk space on both your local computer and the server. RunCloud provides a built-in disk usage monitoring solution to make this easy.

Wrapping Up: Who Should Use FTP for Their WordPress Websites?

Throughout this guide, we’ve discussed the details of using FTP and, more importantly, its secure counterpart, SFTP, with WordPress.

The need for direct FTP access is generally low for basic WordPress users (bloggers and small business owners) who primarily focus on content creation and use the standard WordPress interface for tasks like plugin installation and media uploads. The built-in WordPress tools, combined with a user-friendly server management platform like RunCloud, handle the vast majority of day-to-day operations.

RunCloud, for instance, offers a comprehensive file manager directly within its web-based dashboard. This file manager allows you to browse your WordPress directories, perform basic text file edits, and manage file permissions, all without needing a separate FTP client.

However, the need for FTP (SFTP) increases as your WordPress usage becomes more sophisticated. Intermediate users, such as freelancers or agencies managing multiple WordPress sites, often need to customize themes and plugins (requiring direct code edits), troubleshoot issues by examining server logs, or upload larger files that might be cumbersome through the WordPress interface.

In these scenarios, SFTP provides the necessary direct access and control. RunCloud seamlessly integrates with SFTP, offering easy SFTP user management.

RunCloud provides the perfect balance of ease of use and advanced functionality. Sign up for RunCloud today.

FAQs on Using FTP with WordPress