Jan 26 2012
How to use FTP to connect to your site.
After finding a suitable website host, you will need to know how to upload your site (the WordPress directory) to your server. This is generally done using a FTP client, and for the purpose of this tutorial we’ll be using Filezilla.
You can download Filezilla from http://filezilla.net
Once you’ve installed Filezilla, and started it for the first time, you will see something like this (I’m using a Mac so the file listing on the left might look a little different to what you are used to) :
In this picture I’ve coloured some sections in, so that it’s easier to understand what each one represents:
1 – the toolbar
2 – connection bar
3 – message box
4 – your computer (Local Site)
5 – remote computer (Remote Site – your website server)
6 – file transfer queue
If we ignore the toolbar (1) for now, you should have some information from your website host about your FTP connection details. This will be in the form of:
Hostname – yoursitename.co.uk
Username – whatever is assigned
Password – whatever is assigned
NOTE – FTP passwords are sent unencrypted, so if you have secure FTP (SFTP or FTPS) then use that OR make sure your FTP password is different to your master account password!
In some cases you may be issued a port number.
You enter these details in the connection bar (2) and press enter:
You should then see a mass of text scroll past in the message box (3) until the last message states Directory Listing Successful. Below that will be the sites window (4 and 5):
To transfer files you drag them from the left (A) to the right (B). You can create new folders/directories by right-clicking and selecting Create Directory. Double-clicking on the new directory folder will then open it, for you to transfer files into that directory. You can download from your server by dragging from the right (B) to the left (A). You navigate your folders by double-clicking on the folder, but if you want to go back to the previous directory, you double-click on the folder marked with two full stops (..)
Once you have finished transferring then you click the disconnect from server icon (ninth from the left, on the right of the flag with the cross) next to the icon with the green tick.
I’ll go into this a little more next time, when we install and set up the WordPress framework.
