SFTP is the same files as the Files tab, reached with a desktop program instead of a browser. You do not need it for everything — but for a few jobs the browser is genuinely the wrong tool.
Which one to use
| Job | Use |
|---|---|
| Editing one config file | The file manager |
| Uploading a single plugin jar | The file manager |
| Uploading a modpack or a world folder | SFTP |
| Downloading everything before a big change | SFTP |
| Anything with hundreds of small files | SFTP |
| Resuming an upload that failed halfway | SFTP |
What to do
- Get the details from the panel
Settings shows the SFTP host, the port and your username. The port is not 22 — it is a specific one for the panel, and using 22 gets you a connection refused.
- Use the same password as the panel
Your SFTP password is your panel account password, not a separate one. There is nothing to generate.
- Connect with FileZilla or WinSCP
Choose SFTP as the protocol, not FTP. FTP is a different protocol on a different port and it will not connect.
- Accept the host key on first connection
You will be shown a fingerprint once. That is normal and it is the connection being verified, not a warning about something wrong.
Panel SFTP usernames are not just your email or your account name — they include a server identifier. Copying it from the Settings tab exactly, including the part after the dot, is what makes the login work.
FileZilla will happily upload .DS_Store, Thumbs.db and desktop.ini alongside your world. They do nothing on the server except take up inodes. A filter costs one setting and keeps things clean.
You connect, see the same folders the Files tab shows, and a file you upload appears in the panel.