How to Create an FTP Account in cPanel (Full Guide) @ TwentySixForty

Tutorial Overview.

This tutorial will explain what FTP and cPanel is and will show you how to create an FTP account in cPanel and how to make an FTP connection to the server with FileZilla.

Quickies.

What is FTP?
What is cPanel?
How to Create an FTP Account in cPanel.
How to Make an FTP Connection with FileZilla.

What is FTP?

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It is a network protocol used to transfer files between a client and a server. You could use it to transfer files from a computer to a server or from a server to a computer.

What is cPanel?

cPanel is a Linux-based control panel used for web hosting accounts. It basically lets you manage a hosting account through an intuitive interface. You can manage things like databases, email addresses, DNS settings, sub-domains, website files, FTP accounts and much more. It is the industry standard for Linux hosting and widely used by web developers.

How to Create an FTP Account in cPanel.

You can get to the cPanel a couple different ways:

To login directly to cPanel, add :2083 to the end of the domain name.

eg. https://yourdomainname.com:2083.

Or login to your hosting account and look for the link to cPanel.

Once you are in cPanel, in the Files section, click on FTP Accounts.

cPanel files section graphic

Enter a Username in the Log In field.
Select the domain name in the Domain dropdown field.

add ftp account

Use the Password Generator to generate the password for the FTP account.
Check the box next to I have copied this password in a safe place and click Use Password.

cpanel ftp password generator

ftp password

If you want root access, delete everything in the Directory field.
Click Create FTP Account.

cpanel create account

Now you have an FTP user account and will be able to make an FTP connection to your server. You will see the new FTP account under FTP Accounts.
Click on Configure FTP Client.

cpanel ftp accounts

To make an FTP connection, you need 3 things: the FTP Server, the FTP Username and the password.
In this section, you will see the FTP Username and the FTP Server info.

cpanel ftp credentials

Pair these with the password you generated earlier and you have the credentials you need to make the FTP connection.

Sometimes I have problems trying to make the FTP connection with the FTP Server name so I usually use the IP address instead. To get the IP address go to the main cPanel screen and click on Server Information.

How to Make an FTP Connection with FileZilla.

FileZilla is a powerful software application used to upload and download files to and from servers. It is free to use and you can download it here: Download FileZilla.