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SFTP

To ensure your data remains safe and encrypted, Kinsta only supports SFTP connections.

SFTP clients

If you don’t already have an SFTP client installed on your computer, we recommend one of the following:

SFTP settings

You’ll need to configure your SFTP client with the following settings, which can be found in MyKinsta under WordPress Sites > sitename > Info:

  • Connection type: SFTP (Kinsta only supports SFTP connections)
  • Address/URL/Hostname: Found in MyKinsta under WordPress Sites > sitename > Info
  • Username: Found in MyKinsta under WordPress Sites > sitename > Info
  • Password: Found in MyKinsta under WordPress Sites > sitename > Info
  • Port: Varies from site to site, found in MyKinsta under WordPress Sites > sitename > Info

You can also use an SSH key in addition to your username and password.

SFTP details in MyKinsta.
SFTP details in MyKinsta.

Some SFTP clients may default to FTP as the connection type, so be sure SFTP is selected as the connection type. If you don’t, you might see an error similar to:

Cannot establish FTP connection to an SFTP server. Please select proper protocol.

Download SFTP settings

Rather than manually inputting your SFTP settings, you can download a configuration file that contains all of the settings required for the SFTP connection for FileZilla, Cyberduck, or Terminus. In MyKinsta, under WordPress Sites > sitename > Info > SFTP/SSH, click the download icon under FTP client config files.

Download a zip file of your FTP settings.
Download a zip file of your FTP settings.

This downloads a zip file that contains the following files:

  • .xml – This can be used to import the SFTP settings into FileZilla. For support with the import, refer to FileZilla’s documentation.
  • .duck – This can be used with Cyberduck. If you open the file, it starts the Cyberduck application and creates the connection. If you need further support with this, refer to Cyberduck’s documentation.
  • .csv – This can be used to import the SFTP settings into Terminus. For support with the import, refer to Terminus support.

Change the SFTP/SSH password

If you want to update the SFTP/SSH password for the current environment, hover over the password and click Generate new SFTP password.

Generate a new SFTP/SSH password for your WordPress site.
Generate a new SFTP/SSH password for your WordPress site.

To confirm the password change, click Generate new password.

Confirm the password change by clicking Generate new password.
Confirm the password change by clicking Generate new password.

Copy and paste the new password into your SFTP client as needed.

Set a password expiration

If you want the STFP/SSH password to expire and regenerate at regular intervals automatically for the current environment, click the edit icon under Password expiration.

Change the STFP/SSH password expiration time.
Change the STFP/SSH password expiration time.

Choose how often you want the password to expire and regenerate, and click Save changes.

Choose the interval for the password expiration.
Choose the interval for the password expiration.

Authentication methods

To change the SFTP/SSH authentication methods to enable or disable access with a username and password for the current environment, click the edit icon under Authentication methods.

Change the SSH authentication methods.
Change the SSH authentication methods.

Select Password to enable or disable SFTP/SSH access with a username and password, and click Save changes. You cannot disable access using an SSH key; however, you can disable all SFTP/SSH access.

Select Password to enable or disable access with a username and password.
Select Password to enable or disable access with a username and password.

IP allowlist

To specify a list of IP addresses that are allowed to access your environment via STFP/SSH, click the edit icon under IP allowlist.

Specify which IP addresses can access the environment via SFTP/SSH.
Specify which IP addresses can access the environment via SFTP/SSH.

Enter the IP addresses you want to allow access via SFTP/SSH and click Add. You can specify multiple addresses separated by a comma, e.g., 1.1.1.1, 2.2.2.2. You can also specify a range of IP addresses using a slash, e.g., 1.1.1.1/32.

Specify the IP addresses that are allowed to access your environment via SFTP/SSH.
Specify the IP addresses that are allowed to access your environment via SFTP/SSH.

Once you have entered all of the required IP addresses, click Update IP allowlist.

Update the IP allowlist for SFTP/SSH.
Update the IP allowlist for SFTP/SSH.

Disable/enable SFTP/SSH access

If you want to disable SFTP/SSH access so no users can connect via STFP/SSH, on your site’s Info tab, click Disable.

Disable SFTP/SSH access.
Disable SFTP/SSH access.

To confirm the changes, click Disable SFTP/SSH access.

Confirm the changes to disable SFTP/SSH access.
Confirm the changes to disable SFTP/SSH access.

When SFTP/SSH access is disabled, the connection details are no longer shown.

SFTP/SSH access disabled.
SFTP/SSH access disabled.

If you want to enable access and show the connection details, click Enable > Enable SFTP/SSH access.

Client examples

Here are a few examples of settings in FTP clients.

Cyberduck

SFTP details in Cyberduck.
SFTP details in Cyberduck.

WinSCP

SFTP settings in WinSCP.
SFTP settings in WinSCP.

FileZilla

FileZilla Quick Connect
FileZilla Quick Connect

Transmit

SFTP settings in Transmit.
SFTP settings in Transmit.

More information

SFTP is a secure way to connect to your website files and the only supported file transfer protocol at Kinsta. For more details about how SFTP is more secure, be sure to check out the difference between FTP and SFTP.

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