Uploading Files via FTP

There are two ways to get files onto your hosting account: the browser-based file manager in DirectAdmin, which is quicker for small changes, and FTP, which is better for uploading a whole site or working from your code editor.

Where files belong

Your website is served from public_html. A file at public_html/index.html appears at https://yourdomain.co.uk/, and public_html/about/index.html appears at /about/.

Anything outside public_html is not web-accessible, which makes it a sensible place for backups or configuration files you do not want served.

Using the DirectAdmin file manager

1. Log in to DirectAdmin and open Files.
2. Navigate into public_html.
3. Use Upload to add files, or drag them into the window.
4. For a whole site, upload a single ZIP and use Extract — far quicker than uploading hundreds of files individually.

Connecting with FileZilla

Create an FTP account first in DirectAdmin under Email & FTP → FTP Management, then connect:

• Host: your domain, or the server hostname if DNS has not propagated yet
• Username: the full FTP username, usually user@yourdomain.co.uk
• Password: as set when you created the account
• Port: 21 for FTP, or 22 for SFTP

Use SFTP where you can. Plain FTP sends your password across the network unencrypted. SFTP encrypts the whole session and is available on the same account.

Scoping an FTP account to one folder

If you are giving access to a designer or developer, create a separate FTP account restricted to a specific directory rather than sharing your main login. DirectAdmin lets you set a custom home path when creating the account, so they can reach only what they need.

Common problems

• Connection times out. Usually passive mode. In FileZilla, set Transfer mode to Passive under Site Manager.
• Files upload but the site shows a directory listing. Your entry point is not named index.html or index.php. Rename it — capitalisation matters on Linux, so Index.html will not work.
• Uploaded but nothing changed. Check you are in public_html and not one level above it, then hard-refresh the browser.
• Permission errors. Files should be 644 and directories 755. The file manager can fix these in bulk.

Related

Accessing DirectAdmin · Changing your PHP version · ask in the community forum if something is not behaving.

Uploading a hand-written site? Free HTML hosting is built for exactly that — files in public_html, done.

File permissions, briefly explained

The numbers 644 and 755 describe who may read, write and execute a file. In practice on shared hosting you only need the conclusion: files 644, directories 755. Web-visible files rarely need anything else, and two deviations cause most permission trouble:

• 777 (“everything for everyone”) is the classic bad advice from old tutorials. It makes files world-writable, which some servers rightly refuse to execute at all. If a guide tells you to chmod 777, find a better guide.
• 600 or 640 on files the web server must read produces 403 Forbidden errors. Reset to 644.

The DirectAdmin file manager can correct permissions in bulk if an upload arrives with odd ones.

Seeing hidden files like .htaccess

Files starting with a dot are hidden by default on Linux, and .htaccess is the one you will actually need. In the DirectAdmin file manager, enable the option to show hidden files; in FileZilla, set Server → Force showing hidden files. If you have been staring at public_html wondering where the .htaccess everyone mentions has gone — it is there, just hidden.

Updating a live site without breaking it

Overwriting files on a live site means visitors mid-request can catch the site half-updated. For a small HTML site the exposure is seconds and rarely matters; for anything bigger, the safer pattern costs one extra step: upload the new version into a sibling folder (public_html/new/), verify it, then move the contents into place in one quick operation — or upload a ZIP and extract it, which is both faster and closer to atomic than hundreds of individual file transfers. Either way, keep a copy of what you replaced until the new version is confirmed good.

Storage housekeeping

The account’s 5GB covers files, databases and email together. When space runs low, the usual suspects in order: old backup archives left in the account (download them, then delete them from the server), unoptimised images, and mailboxes quietly accumulating large attachments. DirectAdmin shows usage per area, which turns the hunt into a two-minute check.

Frequently asked questions

SFTP or FTP — which should I use?

SFTP wherever your client supports it (they all do): the entire session is encrypted, including your password. Plain FTP sends credentials in clear text and survives mainly as a legacy default. The only change in FileZilla is the protocol dropdown and port 22.

Is there a maximum upload size?

FTP itself does not impose the small limits web-based uploaders do, which is one reason it is the right tool for whole-site uploads. For very large transfers, a single ZIP extracted server-side is faster and more reliable than thousands of small files.

Why do my uploads keep stalling or failing partway?

Usually connection drops on large multi-file transfers. Enable FileZilla’s option to resume transfers, or switch to the ZIP-and-extract approach, which reduces the transfer to one file. Persistent failures on any file are worth testing on another network before assuming a server problem.

Can I edit files directly on the server?

Yes — the DirectAdmin file manager includes a text editor, which is ideal for one-line changes to .htaccess or a config file. For anything longer, edit locally in a proper editor and upload; you get undo history and no risk of a half-saved file.