Find Your Plesk Credentials and Connect with SFTP Online

Plesk is a control panel many hosting providers install on their servers, and it organizes file access a little differently from cPanel: FTP accounts belong to a website subscription, and SFTP rides on that subscription's SSH access. FilePort Pro runs in the browser, so once you've got your Plesk credentials you can upload files straight from a web page — no software to install and no desktop client to configure.

Connect Now — access your Plesk files

How Plesk organizes FTP access

Plesk is a control panel for a web server — a hosting provider (or a server administrator) installs it, and each website the server handles is managed as a subscription. A key difference from cPanel-style hosts is where credentials live: the FTP users and passwords belong to the individual website subscription, not to one global account list. So if your provider gave you a Plesk login, you start from the website you want to reach and manage its file access from there. Because Plesk versions and provider layouts differ, the exact menu labels vary — confirm what your own Plesk shows before you rely on a specific path.

Find your Plesk FTP username and password

The connection details for a site live under its subscription. The general path is:

Log in to Plesk.
Open Websites & Domains.
Go to the subscription (website) you want to reach.
Open the FTP access area — commonly under Websites & Domains → FTP Access, though the label can vary by Plesk version, so confirm what yours shows.
Note the username and set or reset the password for that subscription's FTP login.

The username is usually tied to the subscription's system user, so it may look like a system-style name rather than an email address. The hostname you connect to is your domain. Use exactly what Plesk displays rather than assuming a format.

In short, here's what you'll enter: hostname = your domain (for example www.example.com), port = 21 for plain FTP (or FTPS) or 22 for SFTP, username = the FTP username shown for the subscription, and password = the one you set or reset. On the Plesk screen, the FTP access area is usually reached from Websites & Domains → the domain's hosting tools → FTP Access, though the label can vary by Plesk version — find the item that lists the FTP username and a password field.

FTP vs SFTP on Plesk

Plesk's FTP support covers plain FTP on port 21 and, depending on the server's configuration, FTPS on that same port. SFTP is different: it runs over SSH on port 22, and it only works when SSH access is enabled for the user or subscription. Plain FTP sends your password and file contents in cleartext by protocol design, so SFTP is the more secure choice whenever it's available. That said, if your Plesk plan doesn't allow SSH and you need the speed and simplicity of plain FTP, use the online FTP client — FilePort Pro handles both protocols in the browser. Because FilePort Pro relays your connection, your Plesk credentials pass through our server to reach yours, as with any hosted client. The connection between your browser and FilePort Pro is served over HTTPS, and your credentials are held in memory only for the active session — they are never stored or logged.

Enable SSH and use SFTP

If you administer the server or your provider allows it, you can enable SSH access for the subscription. The exact location varies by Plesk version — typically in the subscription's hosting or access settings (often a dedicated SSH access section), so check what yours shows. You can usually grant SSH login to the same system user used for FTP, and some versions let you restrict it by IP address. Once enabled, SFTP on port 22 works with that same login. If SSH isn't available on your plan, plain FTP or FTPS on port 21 are the remaining options.

A note on credentials: for most Plesk hosting, both FTP and SFTP use the username and password you manage in Plesk — that's what a browser client needs. SSH keys are a separate option Plesk can store for passwordless command-line access, but the browser client authenticates with the subscription's username and password, so you don't need a key. Set the password in the Plesk FTP access area and use it for both protocols.

Connect to Plesk with FilePort Pro

With your host, username, and password in hand, connecting is quick:

Open FilePort Pro — it lives in the browser, so there's nothing to install.
Choose SFTP (port 22) if SSH is enabled on your subscription, or FTP (port 21) if not.
Enter the hostname, username, and password exactly as Plesk shows them.
Click Connect — you land in the file list and can browse folders with breadcrumbs, upload files by clicking or dragging them in, and download what you need, including whole folders as a ZIP archive.

From Plesk to your first upload with nothing installed. Connect Now — access your Plesk files

One honest note: if you connect over plain FTP, your password travels unencrypted by protocol design. FilePort Pro warns you before making a plain-FTP connection and recommends SFTP whenever your server supports it.

Common Plesk connection errors and fixes

"Connection refused" — the server isn't answering on the port you chose. Plain FTP uses port 21; SFTP uses port 22, so confirm you picked the right one for your Plesk setup. A third-party firewall beyond Plesk can also refuse the connection.
"Connection timed out" (port 22) — the host's firewall or network is dropping SSH traffic even though your server software allows it. If your provider blocks inbound SSH or SFTP ports, ask them to open port 22 (or 21) for your subscription.
"Authentication failed" — the username or password doesn't match what Plesk has. Re-open the subscription's FTP access area in Plesk, reset the password there, and re-enter exactly what Plesk displays — system-style usernames with prefixed domains are easy to mistype.
"Host key changed" / fingerprint mismatch — the server's SSH host key differs from what you accepted before (normal after a server migration or re-provision). Confirm you're connecting to the right host, then accept the new fingerprint deliberately.
SFTP fails but FTP works — SSH access isn't enabled for your subscription. Turn it on in Plesk's hosting/access settings, or fall back to plain FTP or FTPS on port 21.

Where your Plesk website files live

On a Plesk-hosted website the document root — the folder visitors reach when they load your domain — is httpdocs. Upload your site's public files there: your HTML, assets, and uploads. Other folders may sit alongside it (for example, log or backup directories), but they aren't served to visitors, so leave those alone. If you're uploading an application, check the application's own install instructions for the folder it expects rather than assuming.

A note on Plesk SFTP security

Because FilePort Pro relays your connection, your Plesk credentials pass through our server to reach yours — never "credentials never leave your browser." They're held in memory only for the active session, never stored, never logged, and the session ends when you disconnect or after about 15 minutes of inactivity. Since SFTP keeps your login and files encrypted, prefer it over plain FTP when SSH access is available. See our security page for how FilePort Pro handles your credentials.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find my Plesk FTP username and password?

Log in to Plesk, open Websites & Domains, and go to the subscription you want to reach. Open its FTP access area — the label varies by Plesk version, so confirm what yours shows. There you'll see the FTP username for that subscription and can set or reset the password. Use exactly what Plesk displays.

Does Plesk support SFTP?

Yes, when SSH access is enabled. Plesk covers plain FTP (port 21) and FTPS, while SFTP runs over SSH on port 22 and requires SSH access to be enabled for the subscription or user. If SSH is disabled for your subscription, plain FTP or FTPS on port 21 are the remaining options.

Where do Plesk website files live?

The document root of a Plesk-hosted website is the httpdocs folder. Files you want served at your domain belong there; folders such as logs or backups sit alongside it but aren't served to visitors.

Can I connect to Plesk from the browser?

Yes. With your Plesk FTP or SFTP credentials in hand, a browser-based client such as FilePort Pro can connect and browse, upload, and download files — no software to install.

Why does my Plesk SFTP connection time out or get refused?

The most common causes are a wrong port and a host firewall. Plain FTP runs on port 21 and SFTP on port 22, so use the port that matches the protocol you chose. If inbound SSH or FTP traffic is blocked at the network level, ask your hosting provider to open the relevant port for your subscription.

Do I need an SSH key to use SFTP with Plesk?

No. For most Plesk hosting, SFTP authenticates with the subscription's username and password, so a browser client needs no key. SSH keys in Plesk are an optional extra for passwordless command-line access; you can ignore them and connect with the password you set in the FTP access area.

More host guides

Plesk is a control panel some providers choose, but the same connect-and-upload ideas apply across hosts. See the guide for your setup:

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

Get started — connect to Plesk from your browser

No install, no sign-up, no credentials stored. Connect Now — access your Plesk files

Prefer an encrypted transfer? Use SFTP. Questions about what we store? Read the privacy policy.