Upload Your Website to the Web Successfully – FTP Client Explained
Upload your website and get online today! You will need an FTP client. I appreciate that that may sound a little technical at first - I thought exactly that myself only a short time ago - but it is actually very easy to use.
I use FileZilla - and the good news is it's free to download. Just go to Google and type in 'FileZilla download' and download it to your desktop.
Now don't let this next bit scare you too much - FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol - I know hearing that for the first time can be a bit daunting.
All this means is that when you are ready to put your website live on the world wide web - you first have to transfer it, or upload it - from your computer to your Hosting company. And this is exactly what your FTP client does, it transfers your files for you.
Allow me to explain exactly what you will see once you open FileZilla. It will be easier for you to understand if you follow it on your screen as I explain it. Ready!
Left Side
• On the Left side you will see what's known as the Local Browser (local site) - this shows you everything that is on your computer.
• It has 2 windows - top and bottom.
• The Top window is everything on your desktop.
• The Bottom window shows you the contents of any file on your desktop - when you click on it in the top window. Try it now!
Right Side
• On the Right side you will see what's known as the Remote Browser (remote site)
• When we log in (soon!) this will show you all the files that are stored remotely for your Hosting account - at your Hosting company - wherever that is in the world. Cool!
Now to Log In and Connect to your Hosting company
• There are only 3 fields that you need to fill in - Host, Username and Password.
• Leave the Port field blank.
• In the Host field: type in ftp. (so that's ftp with a full stop after it)
• Then type in your domain name - but without the www before it.
• Like this ftp.domainname.com Excellent!
• Now the username and password will be in the email you received from your Hosting company when you signed up. This email is very important-look after it!
• Now the 3 fields are filled in, Click on Quickconnect.
• Note activity in the very top window as it connects to your Hosting company.
Now you are Logged in - just a few things to Note before we upload
• Note there are now files in the Remote Browser side from your Hosting company.
• The folder we are most interested in here is called public_html.
• Find it now! Double click on it to open it. It must be open to upload to.
• Anything we upload to the web is uploaded to this file.
• This is also known as a Directory - it's the same as folder.
• Important - most Hosting company's use the directory public_html.
• But not all - this information is also found in the email I mentioned earlier that you received from your Hosting company. Check it now!
We are now going to Upload your website and go Live! Ready!
• Reminder - the public_html folder must be open to upload to. Well done!
• To upload click on Desktop - in the top window of the Local Browser.
• Now find the file you want to upload - it'll be in the bottom window, same side.
• For illustration purposes here I'm going to choose an image called 'myhouse.jpg'.
• I'm going to highlight my file called myhouse.jpg. Do the same now!
• Right click on it. You will see the option to 'upload' - Click on upload.
• Notice some activity in the window at the very bottom, this is your file uploading.
• The file you have just uploaded will now appear in the Remote Browser side - bottom window.
• You have now uploaded and transferred your file from your computer to your Hosting company. Now that wasn't too bad was it!
Let's go to the Web right now to Test that it is actually Live
• First go to your web browser e.g. Firefox.
• Now type in your domain name followed by a forward slash (/) and then the file name.
• So mine would be domainname.com/myhouse.jpg (don't forget www. Before it!).
• Hit Enter. And Voila! Very well done!
NOTE: The author gives their permission to reprint this article, free of charge - providing that the article remains unchanged, and that the author's resource box is included in the reprint.
I use FileZilla - and the good news is it's free to download. Just go to Google and type in 'FileZilla download' and download it to your desktop.
Now don't let this next bit scare you too much - FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol - I know hearing that for the first time can be a bit daunting.
All this means is that when you are ready to put your website live on the world wide web - you first have to transfer it, or upload it - from your computer to your Hosting company. And this is exactly what your FTP client does, it transfers your files for you.
Allow me to explain exactly what you will see once you open FileZilla. It will be easier for you to understand if you follow it on your screen as I explain it. Ready!
Left Side
• On the Left side you will see what's known as the Local Browser (local site) - this shows you everything that is on your computer.
• It has 2 windows - top and bottom.
• The Top window is everything on your desktop.
• The Bottom window shows you the contents of any file on your desktop - when you click on it in the top window. Try it now!
Right Side
• On the Right side you will see what's known as the Remote Browser (remote site)
• When we log in (soon!) this will show you all the files that are stored remotely for your Hosting account - at your Hosting company - wherever that is in the world. Cool!
Now to Log In and Connect to your Hosting company
• There are only 3 fields that you need to fill in - Host, Username and Password.
• Leave the Port field blank.
• In the Host field: type in ftp. (so that's ftp with a full stop after it)
• Then type in your domain name - but without the www before it.
• Like this ftp.domainname.com Excellent!
• Now the username and password will be in the email you received from your Hosting company when you signed up. This email is very important-look after it!
• Now the 3 fields are filled in, Click on Quickconnect.
• Note activity in the very top window as it connects to your Hosting company.
Now you are Logged in - just a few things to Note before we upload
• Note there are now files in the Remote Browser side from your Hosting company.
• The folder we are most interested in here is called public_html.
• Find it now! Double click on it to open it. It must be open to upload to.
• Anything we upload to the web is uploaded to this file.
• This is also known as a Directory - it's the same as folder.
• Important - most Hosting company's use the directory public_html.
• But not all - this information is also found in the email I mentioned earlier that you received from your Hosting company. Check it now!
We are now going to Upload your website and go Live! Ready!
• Reminder - the public_html folder must be open to upload to. Well done!
• To upload click on Desktop - in the top window of the Local Browser.
• Now find the file you want to upload - it'll be in the bottom window, same side.
• For illustration purposes here I'm going to choose an image called 'myhouse.jpg'.
• I'm going to highlight my file called myhouse.jpg. Do the same now!
• Right click on it. You will see the option to 'upload' - Click on upload.
• Notice some activity in the window at the very bottom, this is your file uploading.
• The file you have just uploaded will now appear in the Remote Browser side - bottom window.
• You have now uploaded and transferred your file from your computer to your Hosting company. Now that wasn't too bad was it!
Let's go to the Web right now to Test that it is actually Live
• First go to your web browser e.g. Firefox.
• Now type in your domain name followed by a forward slash (/) and then the file name.
• So mine would be domainname.com/myhouse.jpg (don't forget www. Before it!).
• Hit Enter. And Voila! Very well done!
NOTE: The author gives their permission to reprint this article, free of charge - providing that the article remains unchanged, and that the author's resource box is included in the reprint.