How to manage FTP accounts in Kiravo

The FTP area on your website is where you create and manage FTP accounts — credentials that let an external FTP client (FileZilla, Cyberduck, code-editor FTP plugins) read and write your site’s files. This guide covers the full lifecycle: deciding whether you need FTP at all, creating an account, connecting from a client, editing existing accounts, and removing access.

To open the FTP area, go to your website’s dashboard, click Advanced in the top menu bar, and choose FTP.

When you need FTP and when you don’t

You don’t need FTP for most day-to-day work. The browser-based File Manager covers uploading, editing, downloading, and managing files just fine. FTP makes sense when:

• You’re working with a developer or agency and want to give them file-only access (no panel access).
• You’re uploading or downloading many files at once (FTP clients handle bulk transfers more efficiently).
• Your deployment tool expects FTP/SFTP credentials.
• You want a workflow where your code editor sees the remote files directly as a virtual filesystem (some editors support this over FTP/SFTP).

For everything else, the File Manager is simpler.

Create an FTP account

On a fresh site, you’ll see a “No FTP accounts” message with an Add account button. Once you’ve created accounts, they show up in a table on the same page.

1. Click Add account. The form opens.

2. Username — type a username. The website’s domain is appended automatically (so if you type alice for a site on mynewsite.com, the full FTP username becomes alice@mynewsite.com). The full username with @domain is what you’ll enter when connecting.

3. Directory — the folder the account can access. Two common choices:

   • / — the whole home directory. Gives the account access to every file on the site (including public_html, dot-files, and any sibling directories). Use this for a developer who needs full access.
   • A subfolder — a more restricted scope. For example, set the directory to public_html/wp-content/uploads if you only want the account to access the uploads folder. Useful for a junior developer or a client who needs to upload media but shouldn’t touch core files.

   The path is relative to the site’s home directory; don’t start it with /home/....

4. Password — enter a password meeting the requirements: one lowercase letter, one uppercase letter, one number, one special character, and at least 10 characters. The eye icon reveals what you typed; the key icon generates a strong password for you.

5. Click Add.

The new FTP account appears in the FTP accounts table.

Connect to the server with an FTP client

You now have everything you need to connect. In your FTP client:

• Host / Server — the website’s hostname (your control panel’s connection-info section shows this, typically your domain or a Kiravo-provided hostname).
• Port — the standard FTP port (21) or SFTP port (22), depending on which protocol your setup uses. SFTP is preferred when available because the connection is encrypted.
• Username — the full username with domain (e.g. alice@mynewsite.com).
• Password — the password you set.

FileZilla

1. Open Site Manager (File → Site Manager).
2. Click New site.
3. Fill in the fields above.
4. Click Connect.

Cyberduck

1. Click Open Connection.
2. Pick FTP or SFTP from the dropdown.
3. Fill in the fields.
4. Click Connect.

Once connected, you can drag files between your computer and the server.

Edit an existing FTP account

If a password leaks, an account needs broader access, or you want to narrow what an existing collaborator can see, edit the account rather than creating a new one.

1. Return to the FTP area on the website’s Advanced tab.
2. Find the account in the table.
3. Use the edit control on its row.
4. Change the field that needs updating:
   • Password — set a new password (and share it with the collaborator securely).
   • Directory — change the access scope to a different folder.
5. Save.

The change takes effect immediately. Any active FTP session may need to disconnect and re-connect with the new credentials.

Remove an FTP account

When a contractor finishes a project, an employee leaves, or you no longer need an account, remove it. Lingering FTP accounts are a security risk — every one is a potential way into your files.

1. In the FTP area, find the account in the table.
2. Use the delete control on its row.
3. Confirm.

The account is removed and the credentials stop working immediately.

Caution

FTP credentials give direct file access. Anyone with the username and password can change every file the account has access to, including PHP files that run on every page load. Use a strong, unique password; never reuse passwords; share credentials only with people you trust; and remove accounts when collaborators leave. Review the FTP accounts list every few months and delete any you don’t actively need.