How to Use FileZilla Client on Windows
Once the program is installed, everything happens in one window. This guide follows a real session: connect, look around, move files, and save the site so the next visit takes seconds. If the program is not on your PC yet, start with the Windows installation steps.
The four fields you were given
A host, a username, a password and sometimes a port — that is the whole login. The Quickconnect bar across the top of the window takes all four:
- Host — a name such as
ftp.example.com, or an IP address. Prefix it withsftp://if the provider asked for SFTP. - Username — the FTP account name, which is rarely the same as your hosting control-panel login.
- Password — case sensitive; paste it rather than retyping.
- Port — leave empty for the protocol default (21 for FTP and FTPS, 22 for SFTP), or type the number your host specified.
Press Quickconnect and watch the message log confirm each step.
Choosing between FTP, FTPS and SFTP
- FTP — unencrypted. Acceptable only on a network you fully control.
- FTPS — the same protocol inside a TLS tunnel. In the Site Manager this is "Require explicit FTP over TLS", the sensible default for shared hosting.
- SFTP — a file transfer channel over SSH. Pick it whenever you have SSH access; it needs a single open port and handles firewalls gracefully.
Saving a site instead of retyping
Open File → Site Manager, add a new entry, and fill in protocol, host, port, logon type and user. Two options repay the effort:
- Default local and remote directory — both panes open where you actually work.
- Logon type "Ask for password" — nothing sensitive is written to disk, while everything else stays saved.
Transferring files
Navigate the remote pane to the destination, select items in the local pane, and drag them over. Downloads work the same in reverse. Useful habits:
- Queue several folders and let it grind through them unattended.
- Right-click a queued item to raise or lower its priority.
- Set a transfer-type override to binary if a host mangles line endings.
- Use the directory comparison view to spot files that differ before overwriting.
Interrupted uploads can usually be resumed; the client asks what to do when a partial file already exists on the far side.
Permissions and file attributes
Right-click a remote item and choose file permissions to change its numeric mode — the common fix when a web server refuses to read a freshly uploaded script or folder. Apply changes recursively only when you are sure the whole subtree should share them.
When a transfer misbehaves
Timeouts, "failed to retrieve directory listing", and refused connections have specific causes rather than one general one; they are each broken down on the troubleshooting page. Copy the message log before changing settings — it names the failing step.
Frequently asked
Which port does FileZilla use?
Plain FTP and FTP over explicit TLS use port 21, implicit FTPS traditionally uses 990, and SFTP uses port 22. If the host gave you a different number, enter that instead.
How do I upload files with FileZilla?
Open the target folder in the right-hand remote pane, select the files in the left-hand local pane, then drag them across or right-click and choose Upload. The queue at the bottom reports progress.
Why does FileZilla ask about an unknown host key?
On the first SFTP connection the client shows the server fingerprint because it has nothing to compare against. Match it with the fingerprint your provider published, then accept and store it.