How to Transfer Files onto the Server (FTP, Manager)

To publish your website, it is necessary to transfer files to the server. Two important pieces of information before beginning are:

  • Your web pages must be placed in the folder called public_html (also called www, and web root in the file manager).
  • Your homepage must be called index.html.

Web Hosting Canada allows you to transfer files through FTP (recommended), or by using the file manager in your cPanel.

  1. Connection through FTP [consult the tutorial]

    FTP (File Transfer Protocol) connections allow you to transfer files between your computer and the web server. To connect through FTP, you need an FTP client such as FileZilla,

    • Address/Host/Server: ftp.mydomain.com (replace mydomain.com with your domain name)
    • User: your username (specified in the account opening email)
    • Password: your password (specified in the account opening email)
    • Port: 21 (the default port in all software)

    Once connected, you must transfer your files to the public_html folder. The home.html page (in folder public_html) is loaded when someone accesses your web site; you may upload your own home page by placing a file named index.html, index.htm, index.php, home.html (or many other variants) in the public_hmtl folder.

    Any modification through FTP will immediately be reflected on your web site. If you do not see the changes, it is likely that:

    • You did not place your files in the public_html folder.
    • You did not transfer your files in a subfolder of public_html.
    • You did not overwrite or delete the default index.html file.
    • You did not name your homepage index.html.
    • You did not refresh the web page to display the most recent contents. It is recommended to close the browser completely and open it again to see the changes.
  2. File Manager (cPanel)

    You can also upload your site files directly through cPanel—no extra software needed.

    Uploading Files with File Manager

    1. Log in to cPanel
    2. Click File Manager under the Files section
      cPanel UI
    3. To access your site’s root directory, double-click public_html in the left sidebar. Your index.html file is located in this folder
      cPanel UI
    4. To upload new files, click Upload in the top menu
      cPanel UI
    5. Add your desired files. Your site will go live as soon as the upload finishes. If you don’t see it, refresh your browser or clear your cache.

      Note: Always double-check your file placement. Your homepage must be named index.html and placed directly inside public_html, not in a subfolder.
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