What Is an FTP Account?
An FTP account is a separate login for uploading and downloading files on your hosting, with its own username (such as name@yourdomain.in), password and the one folder it can reach. Create one per person in cPanel, connect over FTP with TLS, and keep SFTP for the main cPanel login.
For site owners giving a developer or client file access without sharing the main hosting password.
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- Updated
- 14 Nov 2026
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- WebJi® team
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026.
What an FTP account is
An FTP account is a named login on your hosting server, a username, a password and one home directory, used with an FTP client to upload and download website files. It is not a copy of your control-panel login: whoever holds it can move files inside its directory but cannot create databases, change DNS or see your invoices.
- Per-person access: give each developer, client or contractor their own login instead of sharing your cPanel password.
- Directory scope: the account sees its assigned folder and everything below it, nothing above.
- Quota: an optional disk limit per account, where the server's FTP software supports it.
- Revocable: delete the account when the work ends, without touching any other login.
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol; the related abbreviations are expanded in hosting full forms.
Main cPanel account vs additional FTP accounts
Every cPanel account has a primary FTP login with access to all its files, and you can add extra FTP accounts scoped to particular folders; the primary account should connect over SFTP, while additional accounts use FTP or FTP over TLS (FTPS).
| Login | Username | Access | Connect with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary account | Your cPanel username | All files, including outside public_html | SFTP on port 22 (SSH), where the host enables it |
| Additional FTP account | name@yourdomain.in | Its assigned directory only | FTPS (explicit TLS) or plain FTP on port 21 |
| Anonymous FTP | None | A public folder, if the host enables it | FTP; rarely needed today |
SFTP runs inside an SSH session, which authenticates real system users, so the extra name@domain logins created in cPanel's FTP Accounts screen work over FTP or FTPS rather than SFTP. The difference is explained in FTP vs SFTP, and the ports in SFTP port number.
How to create an FTP account in cPanel
Open Files → FTP Accounts, enter a short login name, choose the domain, set a strong password and the home directory, set a quota, then click Create FTP Account.
- Type a short name in Log In; cPanel appends
@yourdomain.into form the username. - Choose the domain, then set a password (the Password Generator creates a strong one).
- Check Directory: cPanel pre-fills
public_html/domain.tld/name. Change it topublic_htmlto give access to the whole main site, or to a specific folder for a contractor. - Set a quota or choose Unlimited, then click Create FTP Account.
The account then appears in the table with Change Password, Change Quota and Delete options. There is no option to change the directory later, so delete and recreate the account to move its boundary.
Directory limits, quotas and safe deletion
The Directory field sets the highest folder the account can reach, symbolic links cannot be used to escape it, and quotas cap how much it can upload; quotas are unavailable on servers running ProFTPD. Ask your host which FTP server it runs before promising a client a limit.
- Large folders: on Pure-FTPd servers, a folder listing shows only the first 10,000 files by default, which can make big upload folders look incomplete.
- Deleting: “Delete Account” removes only the login. “Delete Account and Files” also deletes everything in its home directory; if that directory is
public_html, the website is erased. - File counts: every uploaded file uses an inode; see what an inode is before handing a client unlimited uploads.
How to connect to an FTP account with FileZilla
In FileZilla's Site Manager, choose FTP with “Require explicit FTP over TLS”, enter the server hostname, the full name@yourdomain.in username and the password, and connect on port 21. For the primary cPanel login, choose SFTP and port 22 instead.
- Open File → Site Manager → New site.
- Protocol: FTP; Encryption: Require explicit FTP over TLS.
- Host: the server hostname from your welcome email. FTP does not support SNI, so a TLS connection must use the server's hostname, not your domain, or you get a certificate warning.
- Logon type Normal; enter the full username and password, then Connect.
cPanel's Configure FTP Client button can also download a ready-made connection file for Core FTP or Cyberduck. The full upload walkthrough is in how to upload a website with FTP.
Why an FTP login fails
Most failed FTP logins come from a short username instead of the full name@domain, the wrong protocol or port, a TLS certificate mismatch, or a firewall blocking FTP's data connections.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| 530 Login incorrect | Short username used, or wrong password | Use the full name@yourdomain.in; reset the password in cPanel |
| Certificate warning | Connected to your domain with TLS | Use the server hostname as Host |
| Connects, then directory listing times out | Passive data ports blocked | Use passive mode; try another network; check the host's firewall |
| Connection refused on port 22 | SFTP chosen for an additional FTP account | Switch to FTP with explicit TLS on port 21 |
| Uploads stop part-way | Account quota reached | Raise the quota in cPanel |
If your cPanel account has a dedicated IP address, cPanel also lets the main username log in to FTP; on shared IPs, always use the full FTP username.
FTP account or File Manager: which to use
Use cPanel's browser-based File Manager for quick owner tasks such as editing one file or extracting a zip, scoped FTP accounts for regular contributors, and SFTP or SSH for bulk work like migrations. Everything File Manager does an FTP account can also do; the choice is about who is doing it and how often.
File Manager needs no client software and shares no credentials; its features are covered in the cPanel File Manager guide. For large transfers from the command line, see the scp command. FTP accounts are included with WebJi® cPanel hosting; the panel itself is explained in what cPanel is.
Frequently asked questions
Is FTP safe to use for my website?
Plain FTP sends the username, password and files unencrypted, so anyone on the network path can read them. Use FTP with explicit TLS (FTPS) for additional accounts and SFTP for the main cPanel login, and avoid plain FTP on public Wi-Fi.
How many FTP accounts can I create?
It depends on your hosting plan; the host sets a limit in the package, sometimes unlimited. Create one per person rather than sharing logins, so you can remove someone's access without affecting anyone else.
Can a client's FTP account see my other websites?
Not if its Directory is set to that client's folder only. The account can reach its home directory and everything inside it, but nothing above it, and symbolic links cannot be used to escape the boundary.
Does deleting an FTP account delete the website?
Only if you choose “Delete Account and Files”, which removes everything in that account's home directory. Choose plain “Delete Account” to remove just the login and keep every file.
Checked 15 November 2026 against cPanel's FTP Accounts documentation · Reviewed by the WebJi® team, Jaipur.
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