Procédure

Objective

This documentation explains how to put your website files online on your LWS web hosting using FTP software.

You will learn how to retrieve your FTP identifiers, configure your connection software, transfer your site files to your hosting and check that your site is displayed correctly online.

Who is this documentation for?

This documentation is aimed at anyone who has web hosting and wants to manually publish their website files using FTP.

It applies regardless of your control panel, as long as you have your FTP settings.

The publication procedure is then the same in principle, whatever control panel you use. Only the method for retrieving your FTP identifiers and settings changes depending on the interface.

Before you start

Before you put your site online, make sure you have the following:

• active web hosting ;
• a domain name linked to this hosting, or failing that the IP address of the server;
• FTP connection settings;
• your site files saved on your computer;
• FTP software installed on your computer.

Recommended software

The software recommended in this documentation is FileZilla, as it is widely used and easy to learn.

Popular alternatives

• Cyberduck
• WinSCP

What is FTP used for?

FTP is a method of transferring files between your computer and your web hosting.

For example, you can :

• put a site online
• replace existing files
• download a backup of your site
• delete or rename files on the server.

In practice, you prepare your site on your computer, then use FTP software to send it to your hosting.

Step 1: retrieve your FTP settings

Before you can publish your site, you need to retrieve the connection information for your FTP space.

These parameters are as follows

• FTP server / host;
• FTP user name;
• FTP password ;
• sometimes port;
• sometimes a recommended encryption type.

The way to find these parameters depends on your control panel.

Documentation adapted to your panel

• LWS Panel
• cPanel
• Plesk

Step 2: Preparing your site files

Before going online, check that your site files are ready on your computer.

Depending on your site, this could be :

• an index.html file and its associated folders ;
• an index.php file
• a set of folders and files exported from your site creation tool.

Important check

Your home page should generally be named index.html or index.php (see default.aspx for ASP sites).

If your home page has another name, your site may not be displayed correctly, even if the files have been transferred correctly.

Tip

Place all your site files in a clear folder on your computer before you start.
This will prevent you from sending unnecessary or incomplete files by mistake.

Step 3: Install your FTP software

Install the FTP software of your choice on your computer:

• FileZilla: recommended software; download page and installation documentation
• Cyberduck: simple alternative; download page and installation documentation
• WinSCP: very popular alternative, especially on Windows. download page and installation documentation

Once the installation is complete, open the software.

Publishing your site with FileZilla

Why choose FileZilla?

FileZilla is a well-known freeware application for putting websites online using FTP.
It allows you to connect quickly to a hosting service and easily transfer files between your computer and the server.

Step 4: configuring the connection in FileZilla

1. In FileZilla, open the Site Manager at the top left.

2. Click on New Site.

Give it a simple name, for example :

• My site
• Main site
• Example domain

3. Then fill in the fields with the information retrieved from your control panel.

Fields to fill in

• Host: enter your FTP server
  Example: ftp.yourdomain.tld or the server's IP address
• Port: leave blank if no specific port has been provided
• Protocol: choose FTP - File Transfer Protocol
• Encryption: choose the option recommended in your settings
• Authentication type: choose Normal
• User: enter your FTP identifier
• Password: enter your FTP password

[bcolor_orange] If your domain does not yet point to your LWS hosting, enter the IP of the web server in the host name instead of ftp.domaine.tld.[/bcolor]

4. Click on Connection according to the desired behaviour.

5. When connecting for the first time, a window related to the security certificate may appear.

In this case, confirm the connection if the information corresponds to your server.

Step 5: Understanding the FileZilla interface

Once connected, FileZilla generally displays two main areas:

• on the left: the files on your computer ;
• on the right: the files on your web hosting.

To put your site online, you need to send the files from the left to the right.

Step 6: Upload your site files

1. On the left-hand side of FileZilla, open the folder containing your site files.

2. On the right, open the destination folder for your site on the hosting.

You must publish the files in the web folder intended for displaying the site.
The exact name of this folder may vary depending on the hosting or control panel. It is for this very reason that the recovery of parameters and the identification of the correct location should be checked in the documentation for your environment.

3. Select your site files on the left, then :

• drag and drop them to the right-hand side ;
• or right-click and choose Send.

4. Wait for the transfer

Wait for all the files to be transferred.

The time required depends on :

• the number of files ;
• their size ;
• the speed of your Internet connection.

5. Check that there are no errors

Once the transfer is complete, check that the files appear on the right-hand side and that no blocking errors are displayed in the transfer queue.

Step 7: Replacing an existing site

If your hosting already contains a default site or page, you may need to replace the files that are already there.

Before replacing files

We strongly recommend that you :

• make a backup of the existing files ;
• check that you are in the right folder;
• make sure you are replacing the old site.

LWS also has documentation dedicated to backing up web files, which makes it an appropriate step to take before making any major changes.

If FileZilla asks for confirmation

When FileZilla detects that a file already exists, it may ask you if you want to :

• replace the file ;
• ignore the transfer; or
• apply the choice to all the files concerned.

Read the window carefully before confirming.

Publishing your site with Cyberduck

When should you use Cyberduck?

Cyberduck is a popular alternative to FileZilla.
Its interface is often perceived as simpler, particularly for users who want to get straight to the point.

Step 4: configuring the connection in Cyberduck

1. Launch the software.

2. Click on the button to open a new connection.

3. Fill in the FTP parameters (1)

Specify :

• the FTP or secure FTP protocol according to the parameters supplied ;
• server/host ;
• user name ;
• password ;
• port if necessary.

4. Connect to the server by clicking on the"Connect" button (2)

5. If a new window tells you that the connection is not secure, click on the"Continue" tab.

5. Once connected, go to the folder that should contain the site files. (1)

6. Drag the files from your site into the Cyberduck window or click on the"Upload" button (2) and select the files on your computer.

7. Check that all the files have been uploaded before closing the software.

Publishing your site with WinSCP

When should you use WinSCP?

WinSCP is another very popular alternative, especially for Windows.
It can also be used to connect via FTP and manage the files on your web hosting.

Step 4: configuring the connection in WinSCP

1. Launch the software.

2. On the home screen, create a new connection.

3. Enter the parameters

Enter :

• Host name: your FTP server or the server IP ;
• Port: if you have been given a specific port;
• User name: your FTP login ;
• Password: your FTP password;
• File protocol: FTP.

4. Confirm the connection.

5. Understand the interface

As in FileZilla :

• the left-hand side corresponds to local files ;
• the right-hand side corresponds to files on the server.

6. Transfer the files from your site to the destination web folder on the server by dragging items from left to right.

7. Wait until the transfer is complete before closing WinSCP.

Check that your site has been published

Once the files have been sent, you need to check that your site can be accessed online.

1. Open your browser

Enter your domain name in your Internet browser.

2. Check the result

Your site should now be displayed.

The expected result is as follows:

• your home page loads ;
• your images, links and styles are displayed correctly;
• you no longer see the old default page, if it existed.

3. If your site is still not displayed

Check the following points:

• the files have been sent to the correct folder ;
• your home page is called index.html or index.php;
• the domain name points to the correct hosting;
• the files have not been sent to a sub-folder by mistake;
• your browser is not displaying an old cached version.

4. If the domain has just been configured

If you have just changed the DNS configuration or the attachment of your domain, the display may not be immediate. A propagation delay of a few hours should be observed before checking that everything is working.

Common problems and solutions

I can't connect via FTP

First check :

• the server entered ;
• the FTP identifier ;
• the password ;
• the chosen protocol ;
• the selected encryption.

A simple typing error can prevent any connection.

If your domain is still not pointing to the right server

Try connecting with the server's IP address instead of the domain name.

A certificate window appears

When connecting for the first time, your software may display a warning related to the security certificate.

If the information corresponds to your hosting, you can validate the connection.

The transfer fails or remains blocked

In this case :

• start the transfer again;
• check your Internet connection;
• check that your FTP settings are correct;
• try a reduced number of files to test the connection.

I'm connected but I can't see my site online

This problem is often caused by one of the following:

• files sent to the wrong folder ;
• wrongly named home page
• old site still there;
• domain not linked to the correct hosting ;
• browser cache.

What should you do?

• check the destination folder ;
• Check the name of the host file;
• reload the page ;
• empty the browser cache;
• compare the files on the server with those on your computer.

My old version of the site is still displayed

This may be due to :

• the browser cache ;
• an old file still on the server ;
• a domain name that still points to another hosting.

What to do

• force the page to be refreshed ;
• clear your browser's cache;
• check that the new files have replaced the old ones;
• check that the domain is pointing to the correct hosting.

I can't find my FTP settings

In this case, return to the documentation for your panel:

• LWS Panel documentation to access FTP Account(s);
• cPanel documentation on the FTP settings required for an FTP client;
• Plesk documentation on FTP access or resetting FTP access.

How do I activate passive mode on FileZilla?

1. Open your FileZilla software, click on the"File" tab and then on"Site Manager".

2. Click on the"Transfer parameters" tab, tick the"Passive" box then click on"Ok" to save your choice.

Deactivating TLS on FileZilla

In some cases, you may receive the following error:

Command: MLSD Error:

Connecion timed ut after 20 seconds of inactivity Error: Failed to retrive directory listing

The TLS connection was non-properly terminated

If this is the case, you need to disable TLS on your FileZilla FTP software.

Good practices before and after publication

Before going online

• keep a complete local copy of your site ;
• check the name of your home page;
• make sure you publish to the right folder;
• make a backup if your site is already online.

After going online

• test your site in a browser;
• check a few important pages;
• check the display on your computer and mobile phone;
• check that the images, forms and links work correctly.

Conclusion

You now know how to publish a website via FTP using dedicated software.

The recommended method is to use FileZilla, but you can also use Cyberduck or WinSCP if you prefer.
In all cases, the principle remains the same:

1. retrieve the FTP settings from your control panel ;
2. configure your FTP software;
3. send your site files to the server;
4. check that your site is displayed online.

If your site does not appear immediately, first check the publication folder, the name of the host file and the connection of your domain to the hosting.