FTP and Web Deployment

What is FTP?

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a standard network protocol used to transfer files between a client and a server. It operates on port 21 (control) and port 20 (data).

• FTP – unencrypted (avoid for production)
• FTPS – FTP over SSL/TLS
• SFTP – SSH File Transfer Protocol (secure, recommended)

FTP Workflow

FTP Clients

FileZilla Usage

Host: ftp.yourdomain.com
Username: yourftpuser
Password: ********
Port: 21 (FTP) or 22 (SFTP)

Command-Line FTP/SFTP

# Connect via SFTP
sftp user@server.com

# Common SFTP commands
ls          # list remote files
lls         # list local files
pwd         # remote directory
lpwd        # local directory
cd /public_html   # change remote dir
put index.html    # upload file
get data.xml      # download file
put -r ./website/ # upload directory recursively
quit

Web Deployment Methods

1. Manual FTP Upload

• Upload files via FTP client
• Simple but error-prone
• Best for: Small static sites

2. Git-based Deployment

# Deploy to server via git
git push origin main

# Webhooks or CI/CD triggers deployment on server

3. CI/CD Pipeline (GitHub Actions)

name: Deploy
on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - name: Deploy via FTP
        uses: SamKirkland/FTP-Deploy-Action@v4.3.4
        with:
          server: ftp.example.com
          username: ${{ secrets.FTP_USER }}
          password: ${{ secrets.FTP_PASS }}

4. cPanel File Manager

• Browser-based file manager provided by hosting
• Upload ZIP files and extract
• Good for non-technical users

5. Static Site Hosting (Netlify/Vercel)

# Netlify CLI
npm install -g netlify-cli
netlify deploy --prod --dir=build

# Vercel CLI
npx vercel --prod

Web Server Document Root

Key Takeaway: Use SFTP instead of FTP for secure file transfer. For modern projects, automate deployment with Git-based CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI) rather than manual FTP uploads.