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FTP Accounts

Managing your FTP accounts

There are two types of FTP accounts that can be used with your web hosting package:

  1. Special FTP Account. The most common type of FTP account is based off of your cPanel login and every package has one by default. This account is essentially unlimited, as you can use it to add, edit or delete any of your files. There is also no additional storage quota beside your storage limits for the hosting package itself.

  2. FTP Accounts. This type can be created in addition to the default Special FTP Accounts, and you can set directory limits so the user is confined to a certain directory and its contents. You can also set quota limitations for the amount of storage space available to the user.

For most customers, just the default Special FTP Account is all that is needed. However, sometimes additional people will need to provide FTP access, but you may not want to allow unrestricted movement around the file structure. In this case, you can create an FTP Account and limit to a particular area, like your public_html directory.

Creating Accounts

Tip

Use strong, unique, hard to guess passwords for your FTP accounts. The built in Password Generator does a great job of this!

  1. Log in to your cPanel.
  2. Select FTP Accounts from the Files section.
  3. Under Add FTP Account enter the desired username in the Log In field.
  4. Enter a password for the Password and Password (Again) fields.
  5. Optional: Choose Directory for this FTP user. This field will autocomplete the names of existing directories as you type, or a new directory will be created.
  6. Optional: Set the FTP user's storage Quota, either in megabytes or by selecting the Unlimited option.
  7. Click the Create FTP Account button to save.

Changing Passwords

Note

For the default cPanel Special FTP Account, you'll need to change your cPanel password.

Tip

Use strong, unique, hard to guess passwords for your FTP accounts. The built in Password Generator does a great job of this!

  1. Log in to your cPanel.
  2. Select FTP Accounts from the Files section.
  3. Locate the user under FTP Account and click the Change Password link.
  4. Enter a password for the Password and Password (Again) fields.
  5. Click the Change Password button to save.

Changing Quotas

Note

There is no quota setting for default Special FTP Account, but additional FTP Account quotas are adjustable.

  1. Log in to your cPanel.
  2. Select FTP Accounts from the Files section.
  3. Locate the user under FTP Account and click the Change Quota link.
  4. Make your FTP Quota adjustment.
  5. Click the Change Quota button to save.

Changing Home Directory

The FTP Account Directory is not adjustable after the account has been created. You'll need to delete the account and recreate it with a new Directory value.

Deleting Accounts

Danger

Potential Data Loss! If the Delete the User’s Home Directory option is checked, the user's Home Directory (and any files it contains) will be permanently removed when the user is deleted.

  1. Log in to your cPanel.
  2. Select FTP Accounts from the Files section.
  3. Locate the user under FTP Account and click the Delete link.
  4. Chose whether to Delete the User’s Home Directory or not.
  5. Click the Delete button to delete the FTP user account.