How to upload website files with File Manager or FTP

When to use this

Use this when you have a website built on your computer (HTML files, a PHP app, or a WordPress copy) and need to put it on your hosting. Choose the method by size:

Method	Best for	Needs
cPanel File Manager	A few files, or one zip archive	A browser
FTP client (FileZilla)	Many files, regular updates, developers	An FTP account and a free app

If you are building your first site, see how to launch a website. If you are moving an existing site, read how to migrate a website.

Option 1: upload with File Manager

1. Zip your website folder on your computer. Zip the contents of the folder (select all files inside it), not the folder itself, so files do not end up one level too deep.
2. Log in to cPanel and open Files > File Manager.
3. Open public_html for your main domain. For an addon domain or subdomain, open the document root shown in cPanel's Domains page.
4. Click Upload, choose your zip file, and wait until it shows 100%. The maximum upload size depends on the server; if a large file fails, use FTP.
5. Return to the folder, right click the zip and choose Extract.
6. Check that index.html or index.php now sits directly inside public_html, then delete the zip.
7. Set permissions if needed: 644 for files and 755 for folders.

On Plesk (Windows hosting), the steps are similar under Files, and the website folder is usually httpdocs. Menus vary by version and host configuration.

Option 2: upload with FTP

Create an FTP account

1. Open Files > FTP Accounts in cPanel.
2. Enter a login such as developer, choose your domain, and set a strong password.
3. Set the directory. Limit it to the folder the person needs, such as public_html or a subfolder, rather than your whole home directory.
4. Click Create FTP Account.
5. Scroll to the account and choose Configure FTP Client to see the exact server name, username (usually login@yourbusiness.in) and port for your account.

Your main cPanel login can also connect by FTP, but a separate account is safer to give to a developer and easy to delete later.

Connect with FileZilla

1. Open FileZilla and choose File > Site Manager > New site.

2. Fill in the settings:

   Setting	Value
   Protocol	FTP - File Transfer Protocol
   Host	The FTP server shown in Configure FTP Client
   Port	21
   Encryption	Require explicit FTP over TLS
   Logon Type	Normal
   User	The full FTP username
   Password	The FTP account password

3. Click Connect. If FileZilla shows an unknown certificate, check that the name matches the server you entered, then accept it.

4. Navigate on the right panel (the server) to public_html and drag files from the left panel (your computer).

5. Check the bottom panel for "Failed transfers" and retry any that failed.

If the connection stops at "Retrieving directory listing", open Edit > Settings > Connection > FTP and make sure Passive mode is selected.

Note on SFTP: SFTP (port 22) uses SSH. SSH access on ODHOST shared hosting is not confirmed, so use FTPS as above unless support tells you SSH is enabled for your account. On a VPS you can use SFTP; see connecting to your VPS over SSH.

How to confirm it worked

• Visiting https://yourbusiness.in/ shows your new site, not a default page.
• Images, styles and scripts load (check the browser's developer tools for 404 errors).
• File counts in File Manager match your local folder.

If you see "Forbidden", see fixing a 403 error. Remove FTP accounts you no longer need, as explained in securing your hosting account.

If it still fails

Open a support ticket with the FTP username (not the password), the exact FileZilla message log for the failed connection, the file name and size that failed, and the time (IST).