How do I transfer my website files from my computer to my webspace?

When you have your website ready for people to see on the internet, you need copy the webpages you have prepared on your computer to our internet servers where we will host them for you. To do this you use what is called an FTP software program.

What is FTP? FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol which is the standard process for transferring files. You need FTP software to be able to transfer files between your computer and a remote server.

The most common FTP programs are called CuteFTP and WS_FTP. You can often use the website program which you have used to create your website to do this (eg DreamWeaver, HoTMetal Pro). There are other FTP programs you may consider - a free one is "CoffeeCup Free FTP".

Please remember to put your HTML files into the /htdocs/  folder to make them visible. If you do not do this then you will get a "You are not authorized to view this page" message.

See the bottom of this page for the general settings for your FTP program or use one of the following links to download and configure the programs:

  1. For details on downloading and configuring CuteFTP, click here
  2. For details on downloading and configuring WS_FTP, click here

  3. To download CoffeeCup Free FTP, click here to go to their website. You will then need the general FTP instructions below to configure it.

General FTP Settings

You can FTP to your webspace using just about any FTP package. All of them should ask for the following information in some form or other. The information should also apply to many web publishing programs as part of web authoring packages.

Host address - In the Host address box you should put your own domain name preceded by ftp. eg if the main domain name you own is called yourchosenname.co.uk then you should enter ftp.yourchosenname.co.uk in the box. yourchosenname.co.uk is the main domain name we told you about in the first email we sent you (or our upgrade message if you originally used our old servers).
Port - 21
FTP Username and password - please use the special FTP Username and password we provide you with in the first email we send you. This is ftp.yourchosenname.co.uk and your normal password BUT IT IS NOT your main account username.
Initial remote directory - either blank or the name of the directory on your computer where you keep your website files
Remote Host type - auto detect or UNIX (standard)

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