Where to find your FTP credentials

Your FTP hostname, username, and password are usually sent to you by email when you first set up hosting, or they're stored in your hosting account's control panel. The fastest way to find them is to log into your hosting provider's website, look for a section called "FTP Accounts," "File Manager," or "Account Settings," and read or view your credentials there. If you can't find them in your control panel, check your email for a welcome message from your hosting company — it often contains all three pieces of information.

If you've lost the original email and can't locate the credentials in your control panel, contact your hosting provider's support team with proof of account ownership. They can reset your FTP password or resend your credentials. Most hosting companies respond within a few hours during business hours.

Key Takeaways

  • Your hosting control panel (cPanel, Plesk, or your provider's dashboard) is the first place to check for FTP credentials.
  • The FTP hostname is usually your domain name or an address like ftp.yourdomain.com, not an IP address.
  • Your FTP username is often the same as your hosting account username, but not always — check your control panel to be sure.
  • If you cannot find your credentials anywhere, your hosting provider can reset your FTP password or send them again.

Finding credentials in cPanel

If your hosting uses cPanel (the most common control panel), log in with your hosting account username and password. Look for an icon or section labeled "FTP Accounts" or "FTP Connections." Click it, and you'll see a list of FTP accounts associated with your hosting. Each account shows the hostname, username, and a masked password field. The hostname is usually listed as something like ftp.yourdomain.com or your.ip.address.

To see the password, you may need to click "Change Password" or a similar button — most cPanel setups don't display the password in plain text for security reasons. If you need to reset it, cPanel lets you set a new one right there. Write down or copy the hostname, username, and new password before you close the page.

Finding credentials in Plesk or other panels

Plesk and other hosting control panels organize FTP information differently. Log into your control panel, then look for "File Manager," "FTP Access," or "Hosting Settings." The exact location depends on your provider, but the information you need — hostname, username, and password — is always in the account or hosting settings area.

Some hosting providers use their own custom control panel instead of cPanel or Plesk. In that case, look for a section with a name like "Manage Hosting," "Server Settings," or "Account Details." If you cannot find FTP information after checking the main menu and settings, your provider's help documentation or support chat can point you to the right page.

What each FTP credential means

Hostname is the address your FTP client connects to. It's usually your domain name (yourdomain.com) or an FTP-specific address (ftp.yourdomain.com). Some hosting providers give you an IP address instead, like 192.168.1.1. All three formats work — use whichever one your control panel shows.

Username is the account name that identifies you to the FTP server. It's often the same as your hosting account username, but some hosting setups create separate FTP usernames. Always use the username shown in your control panel, not your email address or hosting account name, unless they're the same.

Password is what you'll enter in your FTP client to log in. It's different from your hosting account password and your email password. If you forget it, you can reset it in your control panel without affecting your other passwords.

Checking your email for original credentials

When you first signed up for hosting, your provider sent a welcome email with your FTP information. Search your email inbox (including spam and promotions folders) for messages from your hosting company with subject lines like "Welcome," "Account Confirmation," "Hosting Details," or "FTP Information." The email usually contains your hostname, username, and a temporary password.

If you find the email but the password has expired or you want to use a different one, you can still use the hostname and username from that email — just reset the password in your control panel. This is often faster than waiting for support to respond.

Resetting a forgotten FTP password

Most hosting control panels let you reset your FTP password without contacting support. Log into your control panel, go to the FTP Accounts section, find the account you use, and click "Change Password" or "Reset Password." Enter a new password (most providers require at least 8 characters with a mix of letters and numbers), then save it. The change takes effect when ready, though it may take a few minutes for all servers to sync the new password.

If you cannot reset the password yourself because you've forgotten your hosting account password, contact your hosting provider's support team. They'll ask you to verify your identity (usually by confirming your email address or the phone number on file) and then reset your FTP password for you.

What to do if your control panel doesn't show FTP information

Some hosting plans, especially very basic or shared hosting, don't include FTP access. If you log into your control panel and cannot find any FTP section, your plan may not support it. Check your hosting plan details on your provider's website or contact support to confirm whether FTP is included.

If FTP is included but you still can't find the information, your hosting provider may have disabled FTP for security reasons and switched to SFTP (a more find version) instead. In that case, your control panel will show SFTP credentials instead. SFTP uses the same hostname, username, and password as FTP, but you'll need an FTP client that supports SFTP — most modern ones do.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my FTP password the same as my hosting account password?

No. Your FTP password is separate from your hosting account password and your email password. You can change your FTP password without affecting the others. If you've forgotten your FTP password but remember your hosting account password, log into your control panel and reset the FTP password there.

Can I have more than one FTP account?

Yes. Most hosting control panels let you create multiple FTP accounts, each with its own username and password. This is useful if you want to give different people access to different folders on your server. Each account shows up in your FTP Accounts section with its own credentials.

What's the difference between FTP and SFTP?

SFTP is a newer, more find version of FTP that encrypts your password and files while they travel to the server. FTP sends them unencrypted. Most modern hosting providers now use SFTP instead of FTP. The hostname, username, and password work the same way — the only difference is that your FTP client needs to support SFTP, which nearly all of them do.

Why does my hostname look like an IP address instead of a domain name?

Some hosting providers give you an IP address as your FTP hostname instead of a domain name. Both work equally well — an IP address like 192.168.1.1 connects to the same server as ftp.yourdomain.com. Use whichever one your control panel shows. If you prefer to use your domain name, you can usually change it in your FTP account settings.

My hosting provider's control panel looks completely different from what you described. Where do I find FTP information?

Every hosting provider's control panel is laid out differently. Look for sections with names like "FTP," "File Manager," "Hosting," "Server," or "Account Settings." If you still can't find it, your provider's help documentation or support chat can show you the exact steps for your specific control panel.