Let’s see how to create an FTP account with cPanel, but first, let’s introduce the FTP protocol and its usefulness.
Table of Contents
What is the FTP connection for
FTP is a file transfer protocol that allows you to access files on your server through an external client, i.e., a program such as Filezilla or Cyberduck.
With this communication system between client and server, you can perform operations on files such as uploading files to the server or downloading them from the server to your computer. Of course, you can also edit existing files by renaming them, deleting them, or moving them from one folder to another.
Let’s see how to create an FTP account and where to find the information necessary to configure the FTP client to connect to the server.
Create an FTP account
After logging into cPanel, scroll down to the File section and click on FTP Accounts.
This function enables you to create an FTP account. Let’s see how to fill in the fields you see here:
Log in: enter the name of the user you want to create. As you can see, the username will consist of the name you enter followed by the domain of the site, like this: [email protected]
Domain: This field appears just if there are multiple domains associated with the account. In this case, you need to choose the domain to be associated with the FTP account.
Password: Enter the password for the user you are creating, and then type the password again in the next field. You can also use the Password Generator button to let the system create a reliable password. In any case, make sure to memorize it.
Safety: indicates the security level of the password you have chosen from Very vulnerable to Very secure.
Directory: from here, you can indicate which folder the user will have access to. The user for whom you have configured the FTP account will only be able to access the folder specified in this field and all its subfolders. If you want to grant access to all folders, delete the field contents so that it’s empty.
Quota: the quota represents the limit of space that the user can occupy. You can specify a value in MB or choose Unlimited if you don’t want to set a limit.
After filling in all the fields, click on the Create FTP Account button to complete the account creation.
Manage FTP Accounts
Scrolling down in the FTP Accounts section, you will see a list of all the FTP accounts created. For each account, you will see the user’s name, the path they have access to, the disk usage, and the quota limit set.
In this panel, you can also see different Actions. Let’s see what they are meant for.
Change Password
By clicking on Change password, you will be shown the box below, and you can set a new password for the selected FTP account. In the end, click on Change password to save the changes.
Change quota
From here, it is possible to change the space quota for the account. We can check the current limit, which in this example is set to Unlimited, and choose whether to change it. After doing so, click on Change quota.
Delete
By clicking on Delete, you can delete the FTP account. As you can see below, you are also asked if you want to delete the directory associated with the user or keep it.
If you want to delete it, check the box next to Delete user’s home directory, otherwise leave it as it is, and click on Delete.
Configure FTP Client
By clicking on Configure FTP client, you can view the settings to configure the client and connect via FTP to the server.
In the Manual settings box, you can see the username, the server, and the port to use.
In the box below, there are two configuration files that you can download and open after installing one of the two FTP clients: CoreFTP (on a Windows computer) or Cyberduck (for Mac).
After downloading the file, open it, and the FTP client will automatically open, collect the data for access and allow you to connect to the server.
Special FTP accounts
Scrolling down, you will see a section called Special FTP Accounts. The accounts listed here are created automatically to let administrators log in via FTP. These accounts cannot, therefore, be deleted.
The FTP account has the same username and password as the cPanel account. You can find the cPanel login data in the email that was sent to you immediately after activating the account. The folder associated with the FTP account, in this case, is the site root.
Moreover, in this case, by clicking on Configure FTP client, you can view the information to configure the client or download the configuration files directly.
