Uploading Files via FTP and SFTP

You can manage files on your Maxinames hosting account in three ways: cPanel File Manager, FTP, and SFTP. SFTP is the recommended option — it encrypts the connection, while plain FTP does not.

Get your credentials

Your primary FTP credentials are in the welcome email. To create additional FTP users (per project, per developer):

1. Open Files → FTP Accounts in cPanel.
2. Set a username, password, and a directory the user is restricted to.
3. Save. Each FTP user has its own login and home directory.

Connect with an FTP client

Free clients include FileZilla, Cyberduck, and Transmit. Use these settings:

• Host: your domain or the server hostname from the welcome email.
• Port: 22 for SFTP (preferred), 21 for FTP.
• Protocol: SFTP — SSH File Transfer Protocol.
• Username / Password: from the welcome email or the FTP user you created.

Where to put files

Your website lives in the public_html/ directory. Anything you put there is served on the web. Files outside public_html/ (like logs/ or your home directory) are not publicly accessible.

Common pitfalls

• Wrong directory. Uploading to your home directory instead of public_html/ means your site will not appear.
• Permissions. Files should be 644 and directories 755 — most FTP clients handle this automatically.
• Cached browser. If you do not see your changes, hard-refresh (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + R).
• Plain FTP fails. Many networks block port 21 — use SFTP on port 22 instead.

For one-off edits, the cPanel File Manager is faster than launching an FTP client. For bulk uploads or active development, SFTP wins.