FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It’s a method used to move files between your computer and a web server — uploading a theme, downloading a backup, or editing a file directly on your hosting account.
Before most hosting dashboards offered file managers built into the browser, FTP was often the main way to interact directly with a website’s files.
How People Use FTP
To use FTP, you typically need an FTP client — a program like FileZilla — along with connection details from your hosting provider: a server address, username, and password.
Once connected, it works a lot like dragging files between folders on your own computer, except one side is your local machine and the other is your live server.
FTP vs SFTP
Plain FTP sends data, including your login details, without encryption, which makes it vulnerable if intercepted. SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) does the same job but encrypts the connection, and it’s what most modern hosting providers recommend using instead.
If your host offers both, it’s worth choosing SFTP by default rather than plain FTP.