This is a brief overview on how to use FileZilla. By default you don’t have to configure FileZilla, so you can start directly working with the program.

1. Connecting to an FTP server

To connect to an FTP server, enter the address of the server into the host field of the Quickconnect bar. If it is a special server type like an SFTP server, add the protocol in front of the address. In case of an SFTP server, start the address with ’sftp://’. Enter the port of the server into the port field if it is not the default port (21 for FTP, 22 for SFTP). If a username / password is required, enter it in the corresponding fields. Click on Quickconnect or press Enter to connect to the server.

2. Navigating on the server

After a successful connection attempt, a list of files and folders appears on the right side of the main window. The current folder is listed in the edit field on the top. You can change the current folder by double-clicking a folder or by entering the folder name into the edit field and pressing enter. You may also right-click the file and folder list and select Open from the context menu to change the current folder. You will notice a folder called “..” displayed in all directories. This folder allows you to go up to the parent directory of the current folder.

3. Navigating on your machine

Navigating on your machine works almost like navigating on the server. There’s only one addition: The folders on your machine are arranged in a tree for faster navigation. A tree is also availabe for the remote side, but it is hidden by default. The remote tree can be shown anytime by clicking on the remote tree icon in the toolbar.

To change the current folder either on your machine or on the server, just select a tree item in the appropriate tree.

4. Transferring files

You can upload or download a file by double-clicking on it. It will be added to the transfer queue and the transfer starts automatically. To transfer folders and/or multiple files, select them and right-click the selection. Then you can click on Upload/Download in the popup menu.

You can also drag the files from one side and drop them on the other side. To add files to the queue so that they will be transferred later, select them and click Add to Queue from the popup menu. You may also drag the files directly into the queue. Click on the button on the toolbar to start the transfer.

6. The Main Window

When you have established a connection between your local PC and an FTP site, the FileZilla main window displays the files and folders for your PC on the left side of the main window and the files and folders of the FTP site on the right side. At the top of the window there is a menu and a toolbar. From there you can access other functions of FileZilla and you can change the layout of the main window. Below that, there is the message log. Every action you take on the FTP server is logged there, as well as all status messages. Located at the bottom of the window is the Transfer Queue, which allows you to see what files are scheduled for upload/download and their progress.

The Menu: From the menu you can access the other parts of FileZilla and from here you can change the visual style of the main window. See the Menus and Toolbars section for more information.

The Toolbar: These buttons give you quick access to the most useful features of FileZilla. See the Menus and Toolbars section for more information.

The Quickconnect Bar: Allows you to quickly connect to FTP sites without having to create a site profile for it.

The Message Log: Below the list boxes, there is a message area that logs all queries from the FileZilla client (your PC) and all responses from the FTP site. The Message Log can be toggled by the button on the toolbar.

Local View: The current folder is shown at the top in the edit field and in the folder tree. The list box below shows all of the files and folders within the current folder. Icons are used to identify the different files and folders. Any disk drives that you can access also appear in the list. The treeview can be toggled by the button on the toolbar.

Remote View: Displays all the accessible files under the current directory on the FTP server you are connected to. You will notice a folder called “..” displayed in all directories. This folder allows you to go up to the parent directory of the current folder. On the top there is a combo box with the current folder.

Transfer Queue: Shows the status of any incoming/outgoing files from/to the FTP server. This list can be toggled by the button on the toolbar.

Status bar: Shows information about the current transfer and the queue size. The file transfer information includes (from the left to the right): Elapsed time, time left, progress bar, transferred bytes and transfer rate. The two LEDs on the right indicate whether files are being received (green) or sent (red).

Keyboard Shortcuts:

F5 - Refreshes local and remote file and folder views
Tab - Switches to the next view
Ctrl+C - Stops the current operation
Ctrl+D - Disconnects from server
Ctrl+Q - Connects to the server entered in the Quickconnect bar
Ctrl+R - Reconnects to server
Ctrl+S - Opens the Site Manager
Ctrl+T - Shows or hides the treeview