All sites and files that are on the Internet are located on servers - special powerful computers with high-speed connection. Therefore, if you suddenly want to create a website for yourself, then buy yourself a hosting service - a small disk space on a server. But how to copy your documents there? That's what programs like FileZilla are for. They are called FTP clients. They connect to the server via FTP, which is designed specifically for file transfer. Now you know that FileZilla is an indispensable tool for any site owner or blog. The program is completely free, but very functional, and therefore - one of the most famous and popular.
How to use FileZilla.
Program installation
Installing and configuring FileZilla does not pose any difficulties. You just need to go to the official website and click on the very noticeable button “Download FileZilla”. Then you will be taken to a page where you can choose the version you need - a 32-bit or 64-bit version for Windows, or a version for Linux. Just select the one you need, and it will immediately download. It remains to run it. When installing on the first screen, click "I agree", which means consent to the installation. Further, the program will determine the system language, and if it is Russian, the installation will be continued in Russian. Although there is nothing special to choose, just press the "Next" button on each screen. After that, a shortcut will appear on the desktop. By the way, Linux users do not have to download the FileZilla FTP client from the site. It can simply be found in the repository by name, and installation will occur automatically, without any hassle.
Program settings
Configuring FileZilla is practically not required. The program is immediately configured optimally, although you can change something for yourself. The main thing that needs to be done is to set up a connection to the server so that the client can connect to it, because this is its direct purpose. The rest is optional.
Connection setup
After registering on any hosting, an email arrives in which there is also data for FTP access:
- Server address or its IP.
- Login user and password
This data is enough to set up FTP in the FileZilla program.
You can connect in two ways:
- Enter the connection data in the fields under the menu and click the "Quick Connection" button. This is best done for a one-time session.
- Create an account and connect to the desired site, simply by selecting it in the list.
The second method is more convenient - the program will save the entered data, and in the future it will be very easy to work. To do this, select in the menu "File" - "Site Manager". A window will open in which you need to configure the connection to the hosting in FileZilla. In the left part of the window, click on the “New Site” button, and a new account will be created, which give a name, for example, by the name of the site. In the right part, enter the access data, first of all the host is the server address or its IP. These data are indicated in the letter sent to you from the hosting. Next "Input Type" select "Normal". Then the usual pair of fields will appear, where you need to enter a username and password - you also received this data in a letter from the hosting. Then you can click the "Connect" button.
If the connection is configured correctly, FileZilla will connect to the server, and folders on the server will appear in the right-hand part of the program, in a large window. At the top, you will see the message "Directory list extracted." If the connection is unsuccessful, a red “Critical error. Unable to connect to server. " This means that you have made a mistake somewhere and you need to check the entered data again - host, username and password. Some hosting providers allow you to immediately download the finished file with access settings for FileZilla. Download, in the program go to the "File" - "Import", and select it. Settings for connecting to the site will be automatically added to the “Site Manager”.
General settings
If you enter the “Edit” menu - “Settings”, a window will appear in which you can configure FileZilla — connection, interface, and much more. There are many tabs in which settings are grouped by purpose. However, there is usually no need to do something here - the program is immediately set up in an optimal way. We have described above how to set up an FTP server in FileZilla, and this is the only thing that needs to be done for the client to work. Setting the baud rate may be useful here - by default it is set without restrictions. You can also go to the "Interface" and choose a different theme.
How to use FileZilla
There are usually no problems or questions, since using FileZilla is very simple, and everything is intuitively clear. The work takes place as in any file manager - on the one hand, files and folders are displayed on the computer, and on the other hand, on the server.
File transfer
To transfer something to a remote computer, you must first connect to it. If you have already created an account, as we described above, then simply click on the arrow next to the first button in the top menu and the list of your sites will open. Select the one you need and the program will immediately connect to the server you need. You can also choose in the menu "File" - "Site Manager", and select the desired site in the list, and then click the "Connect" button. As a result, in one of the windows you will have a list of folders located on the server. Usually this is the root folder of the hosting account, but not the site. If you already have a website on this hosting, go to the folder named www, and then to the folder with the site domain, for example, www / site.ru /. So you will be taken to the root folder of the site, and everything that you upload to it will be available from this site, using the link with its domain. If you download, for example, a picture image.jpg, then in the browser it will open at http://site.ru/image.jpg.
Download any documents is very simple. You have two windows - in one file, located on a computer, in the form of a tree structure, and in the other - the contents of the site. You can simply drag and drop files from one window to another, and they will be copied. Drag the image from the computer window to the server window, and it will be copied there, and vice versa. So you can copy entire folders. By right-clicking on an empty space or on a file / folder, you can bring up a menu with which you can create new folders, delete or rename files. You can also drag and drop files and attach them to neighboring folders.
File editing
Sometimes it becomes necessary to change or edit files in FileZilla, without downloading them to your computer. For example, it would be nice to be able to open some html file, fix something in it, and save it to the server again. There is such an opportunity. If you click on the file with the right mouse button, then in the appeared menu you will see the item “View / Edit”. Select it and the document will be downloaded and opened in the appropriate editor. By default, FileZilla uses system associations — that is, documents with the txt, php, and html extensions will most likely be opened in Notepad, unless you have redefined them in your own way. Images will open in a program that is used on a computer to view images. After fixing the file, save it as usual, and FileZilla will ask if the modified copy should be uploaded to the server again. If you agree, the changes will be saved. That is, the process is as follows:
- The document is downloaded to the computer.
- Opened in the corresponding program and edited.
- After saving, it is sent again to the server.
If the program is idle for a long time, it is disconnected from the server. But if you save the file, FileZilla will automatically connect to the server again and do the transfer work. As you can see, working with FileZilla is very easy and convenient.
File search
This program has an interesting function - search, and not only by name, but also by content. This is very convenient, because even small sites can contain hundreds and thousands of files and folders. To use the search, click on the button in the top panel - it shows binoculars. A window will open in which you can select any search parameters.
As you can see, FileZilla is an excellent FTP client with support for all necessary functions. Although this is a free program, it has all the features of paid analogues, and it is not by chance that it is among the most popular. It has a small size and there is no advertising in it. It can be found on any webmaster’s computer or just a blogger, since transferring files to the server is a must for them, and FileZilla is one of the best tools for this.