Configuring FTP

Updating your website via FTP

Note: These instructions are specifically for an FTP program called WS-FTP. If you don't already have WS-FTP, you can download it here. If you choose to use a different program, hopefully you'll be able to extrapolate what you need to know from these instructions. You should also be able to infer how to download files from your website from these instructions.

1. Open WS-FTP LE
2. On the 'Session Properties' screen, click the 'New' button
3. Type in yourdomain.com (e.g., yourbusinessname.com) as the 'Profile Name'
4. Type in ftp.yourdomain.com (e.g., ftp.yourbusinessname.com) as the 'Host Name/Address'
5. Type in your Username and Password
6. Check the 'Save Pwd' checkbox if you'd like your password saved
7. Click the 'OK' button to log in
   
   After you've successfully logged in, you should see a screen similar to the one below.
8. In the right-hand frame, double-click the folder 'www.yourdomain.com'
   
   You should now see a screen similar to the one below.
9. In the right-hand frame, double-click the folder 'htdocs'
   
   You should now see a screen similar to the one below.
10. In the left-hand frame, browse to the location on your hard drive that contains the files that make up your website. Double-click the green arrow at the top to 'go up a directory'
11. When the files that make up your website are visible in the left-hand frame, select them all. To do this, single-click on the first file or folder in the list. Scroll down to the bottom (if necessary), hold down the shift key on your keyboard, and single-click on the last file in the list (note: a, c, d, e, etc. down at the bottom are drives in your computer - not files; do not select them). The first file you clicked on, the last file you clicked on, and all of the files in-between should now be highlighted. You can release the shift key
12. Once all of the files are selected (i.e., highlighted), click the '->' arrow button in-between the two frames to transfer the files from your computer to your website
    
13. Visit your website (e.g., http://www.yourdomain.com/) in a web browser, such as Internet Explorer, and verify that every looks correct