Common FTP errors: 530, timeouts and files that never show up

Knowledgebase

FTP is simple until the day it will not connect. These are the errors you get, in order of how often they show up, and what each one really means.

Error	What it means and how to fix it
530 Login authentication failed	Wrong username or password. Use the FTP user exactly as created in cPanel — on additional accounts it includes the domain (user@yourdomain).
Connects but shows no files	The classic passive mode problem. In FileZilla settings choose Passive. Our server uses ports 49152–65534 for data; on a corporate network, ask for those to be allowed.
421 Too many connections	You opened too many connections at once. In FileZilla, limit it to 2 to 4 simultaneous connections — and not just to obey the rule: with fewer connections, uploads usually end up faster.
550 Permission denied	You are writing where you cannot, or file permissions do not allow it. Use 755 on folders and 644 on files.
Connection timed out	Port 21 blocked by the network or antivirus, or the wrong server address. Try another network — if it connects, the first one was the problem.
I uploaded the files but the site has not changed	They almost certainly went to the wrong place. The site must live inside public_html; anything outside that folder is not published.

The right connection details

1	Host: ftp.yourdomain (or the server name we gave you).

2	Port 21, with explicit FTP over TLS. Our server accepts TLS — always use it; plain FTP sends your password readable across the network.

3	Passive mode on. It is the right option on virtually every network today.

4	If SSH access is enabled on your plan, you can use SFTP on port 2299 instead of FTP.

Do not share the main cPanel account. To give a developer or agency access, create a separate FTP account limited to the folder they need. When the job is done you delete that account and touch nothing else.

The step-by-step with FileZilla is in FTP accounts and connecting with FileZilla , with a screenshot of every field.

Copy the FileZilla log window and send it to us — it says everything.

Open a support ticket