Do you want to access the WordPress configuration files and you don’t know? You are in the right place. You can make any changes to your website using FTP.
What is FTP
The FTP or File Transfer Protocol is used to manage WordPress files on a server remotely. It is used for security and compatibility reasons. You will be able to access files from another computer regardless of the type of operating system it has.
Accessing the files via FTP can be useful to manage the files of a WordPress website and troubleshoot any errors. It can be accessed through a client application such as Filezilla or through the web (WebFTP), which is generally access granted by the company where the site is hosted.
Why should I use FTP?
WordPress has a section called Media to upload or delete files and it works great, but it can be limiting. If you want to upload files in bulk, the most convenient thing to do is to use FTP, since there is less chance of having errors.
You also have to consider that in case of not being able to directly access WordPress due to an error, it can be solved by directly managing the files on the web. The use that is usually given to FTP in WordPress is:
- Install a WordPress theme
- Update a WordPress theme
- Solve problems that may arise in WordPress, such as access errors.
- Install or update a plugin
How to use FTP to configure WordPress
The essential thing before starting is to have a client application to access the files. You can use Web FTP or a desktop program. In this case, we will use Filezilla because it is Opensource, very efficient and compatible with most operating systems.
Access data
After downloading and installing Filezilla, it will be necessary to obtain the access data to connect to the server. This can be obtained from the Cpanel (control panel) where the website is hosted.
If you have no idea where the CPanel is, you can find it from your user account on the hosting page. In your list of products, you should find the direct link to access.
Once inside the CPanel, click on the FTP Account icon and verify the access data to connect. If you cannot find the access data, you can always create a new FTP account, you just have to save the following data:
- Server: It is usually a name assigned by the hosting or the domain name.
- Username: Name of the user with permissions to connect by FTP.
- Password: Access password of the FTP user.
- Port: The port number that is usually used for FTP connections, it is usually 21.
Access Filezilla manually
- Open the Filezilla app
- If you are connecting for the first time, you can put the access data in the quick connection bar.
- Enter the access data to connect via FTP.
- Once the connection is established you can see the server files in the right pane of the application. The first folder shown in the one you mapped when creating the FTP user or root folder.
- Choose the folder you want to configure on the server, either upload or delete a file.
- In the left panel of the application are the local files, that is, the files on your PC. Select the file you want to upload in the page directory. You can choose multiple files simultaneously.
Access by Filezilla automatically
Depending on the hosting service you use, you can download a file for automatic configuration of the FTP client. If the file is compatible with the application, you can automatically connect with the application.
- Open Filezilla and open the File menu
- Click the Import option
- In the file explorer window choose the automatic configuration file. The file extension is .xml
- Press the OK button to start the configuration, connect to the server and access the files.