How to Upload a Website With an FTP Feed
A file transfer protocol (FTP) allows users with a login name and password to add files to a website, make changes to a site and adjust email accounts associated with a particular domain. Setting up an FTP for your site will help you manage your files, and it will also give your associates the opportunity to work collaboratively to improve your website. Using an FTP requires good understanding of how websites operate, and may require you to know the computer language used on your site.
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Instructions
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Register your domain with a website host. A host is the individual or company that will actually hold onto your files and share them with the Internet. To be a host, you must have a very sophisticated computer, so most individuals outsource this project. If you purchase your domain from a registration company, you may find hosting options for purchase as well. For example, if you purchase your domain through a company like GoDaddy, you will be presented with a hosting option immediately. Review the hosting packages and pick one that works within your budget.
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Open your FTP client. This is a term for any computer program that accesses an FTP. Your computer may have a program already installed. Otherwise, consider downloading a free FTP client program from the Internet. You can also use an online FTP client to avoid downloading a program to your computer. When you open your FTP client, you will see the option to open a connection to a website. This is where you access your site.
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Ask your host for an FTP login. Your host will provide you with a URL for your FTP, a user name and password to access what is known as the "back end" of your site. Each time you want to login to the back end of your site, you will use the URL, username and password your host provided to get to do so, so it is important to save this information so you know how to access it in the future.
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Log in to your site by entering the username and password into the FTP client. You will be directed to a screen with a number of options, such as "Open" "Download" and "View." You will also see a list of files in different folders such as "Public HTML" or "Mail." These are your website files. Even before you publish your site, your host will place some files on the FTP to help manage your website domain. You will see the files here; be careful never to delete them in the future.
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Upload your site into the "Public HTML" folder by clicking "Upload" and selecting the files you have created for your website. Alternately, you can do this by moving the files from your computer into the proper folder on the FTP. Each FTP client will have a different method. For example, Mac computers with iWeb software have an FTP upload option to publish a website directly to an FTP.
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Tips & Warnings
Make backups of your website files regularly from your FTP by saving them to your desktop or an external hard drive. This will prevent you from losing your entire website if your FTP gets taken out by a virus or other problem.
When you upload new files to an FTP, be very careful what you delete. You should only replace website files and never replace the files maintained by your host. If you do, ask your host to reset the FTP for you.
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