Upload & Download Files with FileZilla
Master file transfers, drag-and-drop, queue management, and more
Once connected to your server, FileZilla makes uploading and downloading files incredibly simple. This guide covers all file transfer methods, queue management, handling errors, and advanced techniques for efficient file management.
Before You Start
Make sure you're connected to your server first:
- Connect via SFTP (most secure)
- Connect via FTP orFTPS
Understanding the FileZilla Interface
📂 Local Site (Left Side)
Shows files on your computer
- Top panel: Folder tree (navigate your computer)
- Bottom panel: Files in the selected folder
- Path box: Current location on your computer
🌐 Remote Site (Right Side)
Shows files on the server
- Top panel: Server folder tree
- Bottom panel: Files in the selected server folder
- Path box: Current location on server
Common website folders: public_html,www,htdocs
⏳ Transfer Queue (Bottom)
Shows file transfers in progress, queued, and completed
- Queued files: Waiting to transfer
- Failed transfers: Highlighted in red
- Successful transfers: Tab shows completed files
Method 1: Drag and Drop (Easiest)
The simplest way to transfer files - just drag and drop!
📤 Upload Files (Computer → Server)
- 1.Navigate to destination folder on server (Remote Site panel)
Example:
/public_html/images - 2.Find files in Local Site panel (your computer)
- 3.Drag files from Local Site to Remote Site
You can drag multiple files, entire folders, or anything from Windows Explorer
- 4.Watch the transfer queue at the bottom
Green checkmarks = successful uploads
📥 Download Files (Server → Computer)
- 1.Navigate to destination folder on your computer (Local Site panel)
- 2.Find files in Remote Site panel (server)
- 3.Drag files from Remote Site to Local Site
- 4.Files download to your selected local folder
💡 Pro Tip: You can also drag files directly from Windows Explorer/Finder to FileZilla's Remote Site panel!
Method 2: Right-Click Context Menu
📤 Upload
- Select file(s) in Local Site panel
- Right-click → Upload
- Files transfer to the current Remote Site folder
📥 Download
- Select file(s) in Remote Site panel
- Right-click → Download
- Files transfer to the current Local Site folder
🔄 Other Options
- Add to queue: Queue transfer for later
- View/Edit: Open file in text editor, auto-uploads on save
- Delete: Remove file from server
- Rename: Change filename
Handling File Conflicts (File Already Exists)
When uploading a file that already exists on the server, FileZilla shows a dialog:
Target file already exists
Replace the remote file with your local version
Only replace if your local file is newer (by timestamp)
Only replace if file sizes are different
Don't transfer this file, keep remote version
Save as a different filename
💡 Pro Tip
Check "Apply to all current queue items" to use the same action for all conflicting files in the current transfer.
Advanced File Transfer Techniques
🔄 Synchronize Directories
Keep local and remote folders in sync automatically.
- Navigate to folders you want to sync (one local, one remote)
- Go to Server → Synchronize directories
- Choose sync direction:
- Upload local files to server
- Download remote files to local
- Both directions (bidirectional sync)
- Select options (only new files, delete files, etc.)
- Click OK and review changes before confirming
📋 View/Edit Files Remotely
Edit server files directly without manual download/upload.
- Right-click a file in Remote Site
- Select View/Edit
- File downloads and opens in your default text editor
- Make changes and save
- FileZilla automatically re-uploads the file!
Note: Works best with text files (HTML, CSS, JS, PHP, etc.)
🔢 Set File Permissions (CHMOD)
Change file/folder permissions on the server (Unix/Linux servers).
- Right-click file/folder in Remote Site
- Select File permissions...
- Check appropriate boxes or enter numeric value (e.g., 755, 644)
- For folders, check "Recurse into subdirectories" to apply to all contents
- Click OK
Common permissions:
755- Folders (rwxr-xr-x)644- Files (rw-r--r--)777- Full access (use cautiously!)
🔍 Search for Files
Find files on the server by name or pattern.
- Go to Server → Search remote files
- Enter search criteria (filename, size, date, etc.)
- Click Search
- Results show matching files with full paths
- Right-click results to download, delete, or perform other actions
Managing the Transfer Queue
Understanding Queue States
Queue Actions (Right-Click)
- Process Queue: Start processing queued transfers
- Stop Queue: Pause all transfers
- Remove: Delete item from queue
- Reset and requeue: Retry failed transfer
- Set priority: High/Normal/Low priority
Resume Failed Transfers
- Look for red (failed) items in transfer queue
- Right-click failed transfer
- Select "Reset and requeue"
- FileZilla will retry the transfer
For persistent failures, see the troubleshooting section below.
Troubleshooting File Transfers
❌ Transfer failed: Permission denied
Causes:
- Insufficient file/folder permissions on server
- Trying to upload to read-only folder
- Wrong ownership of files
❌ Critical file transfer error
Solutions:
- Check disk space on server (may be full)
- Verify you have write permissions
- Try re-connecting to the server
- Check for special characters in filename
⚠️ Transfer very slow
Solutions:
- Increase transfer speed limit: Edit → Settings → Transfers → Speed Limits
- Reduce simultaneous transfers if connection is unstable
- Use compression (if supported by server)
- Check your internet connection speed
❌ Connection lost during transfer
Solutions:
- FileZilla will auto-reconnect and resume if configured
- Go to Edit → Settings → Transfers → Enable auto-reconnect
- Set reconnect attempts and delay
- Manually click "Process Queue" after reconnecting
💡 Tips & Tricks
Use keyboard shortcuts: F5 = Refresh, Ctrl+B = Add to queue, F2 = Rename
Enable filtering: View → Filename filters to show/hide certain file types
Compare directories: View → Directory comparison to highlight differences
Bookmark folders: Right-click folder → Add to Bookmarks for quick access
Set default local folder: Site Manager → Advanced → Default local directory
✓ Master File Transfers?
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I upload files to my website?
Connect to your server, navigate to your website folder (usually public_html or www) in the Remote site panel, then drag files from the Local site panel to the Remote site panel. Or right-click a file and select "Upload".
Can I upload entire folders?
Yes! Drag-and-drop entire folders just like individual files. FileZilla will upload the folder and all its contents recursively.
How do I resume failed transfers?
FileZilla automatically adds failed transfers to the queue. Right-click the failed item in the transfer queue and select "Reset and requeue" or "Process Queue" to retry.
What does "Overwrite if size differs" mean?
FileZilla will only replace the remote file if it has a different file size than the local version. This helps prevent accidentally overwriting files that haven't changed.