Small Business Design Resources

What is a FTP?

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. FTP is used for downloading and uploading files from the web, such as documents, images and mp3. Basically it’s your computer connecting to a server and getting or placing files on that server. On the back end, it works just like the folder system on your home computer. You can create, name, and delete folders and sub folders.

How can I use a FTP? You will need to download a software that is referred to as a FTP client. There are many FTP clients to chose from, but one that I like to recommend is a free, secure, cross-platform that is an add on to the Firefox browser called FireFTP. See how to install FireFTP plugin on your computer.

To have access to a particular web site’s FTP, you would need to request the login and password from the web site designer.

Why can’t I use my e-mail to send files? You can still use e-mail to send files, but a FTP is a great alternative. With e-mail you can send only a hand full of documents at a time. Many servers wont send e-mails that are too big in file size. Plus, attachments in an e-mail need to be encoded and that increases the file size. With FTP on the other-hand, you’re able to send bigger files and they’re not encoded.

When would I need to use a FTP instead of e-mail? For example, when you’re working with a web designer to build your web site, the designer will ask you to upload your images or any relevant files to them using their FTP. You will then be provided with a login and password to upload your files.