GoDaddy FTP & SFTP — Find Your Credentials & Connect

GoDaddy hosts many accounts with cPanel, and that's where your FTP settings actually live — not in the main dashboard. This guide walks you to the right place, explains whether your plan supports FTP or SFTP, and shows you how to connect straight from the browser with FilePort Pro — no software to install.

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Why GoDaddy FTP settings are hard to find

People expect FTP credentials in the GoDaddy account dashboard. On shared Web Hosting plans they're not there: FTP is managed inside the cPanel for each hosting account. So the first step isn't hunting in settings — it's getting into your account's cPanel, where the FTP Accounts screen holds your hostname, usernames, and passwords.

Where GoDaddy keeps your FTP credentials

1. Log in to GoDaddy and open My Products.
2. Find your hosting product and click Manage.
3. In the account dashboard, open Settings to find your cPanel login and sign in to cPanel.
4. In cPanel, go to Files → FTP Accounts.

That FTP Accounts screen shows your hostname (per-account — typically your domain, ftp.yourdomain.com, or your account's server hostname; it is not a single global ftp.godaddy.com), your FTP usernames, and a way to set or reset each password. On GoDaddy's shared Web Hosting, the FTP username is the same as your cPanel login username for the main account; FTP sub-accounts use the username cPanel creates for them.

Create or reset a GoDaddy FTP account

From cPanel → Files → FTP Accounts you can add a new FTP account, set its directory, and change any account's password. On shared Web Hosting, FTP runs in passive mode on port 21, so use an FTP client with passive mode. For SFTP/SSH — only on Managed Hosting for WordPress and VPS or dedicated plans — the credentials live on that product's page: the settings show the Hostname and an Enable SSH toggle you use to create an SFTP login and change its password.

FTP vs SFTP on GoDaddy: know your plan

This is where GoDaddy differs by product, so it's worth being precise. On GoDaddy's ordinary shared Web Hosting (the cPanel plans), the documented access method is FTP on port 21 in passive mode — SFTP is not available there by default. SFTP over SSH is the access method for Managed Hosting for WordPress and for VPS or dedicated plans. So before choosing a protocol, know which GoDaddy product you're on: if you're on shared cPanel hosting and SFTP doesn't connect, that's expected — use FTP. Because FilePort Pro relays the connection, your credentials pass through our server to reach yours, as with any hosted client. Plain FTP sends your password and files unencrypted by protocol design, so on a GoDaddy plan that supports SFTP/SSH, prefer it — see our web SFTP client.

Connect with FilePort Pro

1. Open FilePort Pro in your browser — nothing to install.
2. Enter your server details — protocol (FTP for shared cPanel, or SFTP if your GoDaddy plan supports SSH), host from your FTP Accounts screen, port (21 for FTP), username, and password.
3. Click Connect — you land in the server's file list, where you can browse with breadcrumbs, upload by clicking or dragging, and download files or whole folders as a ZIP archive.

Those are all the details you need — connect to GoDaddy using FilePort Pro and upload straight from the browser.

Upload your website on GoDaddy

Place the files you want visitors to see in your site's document root — on the standard cPanel layout that's the public_html folder inside your home directory, and on the shared cPanel plans GoDaddy uses the same convention. Confirm the exact root folder for your account if you're unsure, then upload your HTML, CSS, and assets there and they'll be served at your domain. Keep private backups outside public_html so they aren't publicly served.

Troubleshooting a GoDaddy FTP connection

• Use passive mode on port 21 — that's what GoDaddy's shared cPanel plans document for FTP.
• Authentication failed? Use the exact username shown in cPanel FTP Accounts (on shared cPanel it's your cPanel login username), and reset the password there if needed.
• SFTP won't connect? On shared Web Hosting that's expected — SFTP requires a plan that provides SSH (Managed WordPress or VPS), and SSH must be enabled in that product's settings.
• Hostname wrong? Copy the hostname shown in your FTP Accounts screen rather than guessing a global ftp.godaddy.com.

GoDaddy FTP security note

FilePort Pro relays your connection, so your GoDaddy credentials pass through our server to reach yours — we never claim "credentials never leave your browser." They're held in memory only for the active session, never stored and never logged, and the session ends when you disconnect or after about 15 minutes of inactivity. Plain FTP sends your password in cleartext, so on a GoDaddy plan with SSH/SFTP available, prefer SFTP; otherwise, avoid plain FTP on untrusted networks. See our security page for how FilePort Pro handles credentials.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I find my GoDaddy FTP username and password?

Log in to GoDaddy, open My Products → hosting → Manage, and sign in to your account's cPanel from the dashboard. Then go to Files → FTP Accounts, where you'll see your FTP account usernames and can set or reset each account's password.

Does GoDaddy use cPanel for FTP?

Yes, on GoDaddy's shared Web Hosting plans your FTP is managed inside cPanel — not in the GoDaddy account dashboard. That's why FTP settings can seem hard to find: you have to open the cPanel for that hosting account and go to Files → FTP Accounts.

What is my GoDaddy FTP hostname and port?

Your FTP hostname is per-account and is shown in your cPanel FTP Accounts screen — typically your domain, ftp.yourdomain.com, or your account's server hostname. It is not a single global ftp.godaddy.com address. FTP uses port 21 with passive mode on GoDaddy's shared Web Hosting.

Does GoDaddy support SFTP?

On GoDaddy's ordinary shared Web Hosting, FTP is the access method and SFTP is not available by default. SFTP over SSH is the access method for Managed Hosting for WordPress and for VPS or dedicated plans. If your GoDaddy plan is one of those, you enable SSH and SFTP from that product's settings.

Can I connect to GoDaddy without installing an FTP client?

Yes. FilePort Pro is a browser-based FTP and SFTP client — open the page, enter your GoDaddy FTP host, username, and password, and connect. There's nothing to download or install.

More host guides

GoDaddy's shared plans run cPanel, so the cPanel guide is your closest reference:

• cPanel FTP — upload without the File Manager
• Bluehost FTP & SFTP — how to upload files
• Hostinger SFTP & FTP — hPanel credentials
• SiteGround SFTP & FTP — set up in Site Tools
• DigitalOcean SFTP — upload files to a Droplet
• DreamHost SFTP & FTP — connect from the browser
• Plesk FTP & SFTP — access & find credentials
• Cloudways SFTP — upload files from the browser
• AWS Lightsail SFTP — upload from the browser
• AWS EC2 SFTP — connect from the browser
• WordPress FTP — upload themes and plugins
• FTP connection errors — why they happen and how to fix them
• SFTP connection errors — host keys, publickey, refused, and timeouts
• FileZilla alternatives — free desktop and no-install options

For more on browser-based transfers, see the web SFTP client. Questions about what we store? Read the privacy policy or the security page.

Not sure the port is open? Use the FTP port checker.

Get started — connect to GoDaddy from your browser

No install, no sign-up, no credentials stored. Connect Now — access your FTP server

Need encrypted transfers instead? See the web SFTP client. Questions about what we store? Read the privacy policy.