How To Ftp Into Wordpress

Mac
1

I need help figuring out how to FTP into my WordPress site after I got locked out of the dashboard during a plugin update. I’m trying to access the files to disable the plugin and fix the site, but I’m not sure what FTP host, username, or port to use. Looking for simple steps to connect to WordPress with FTP and recover my website.

2

I’ve been working with WordPress for a few years now, and FTP access has saved me more times than I can count, especially when a plugin breaks the site or you lose admin access entirely. Let me walk you through how it all works and explain how to ftp into wordpress!

What is FTP and why would you need it?

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is basically a way to connect directly to your web server and manage files without going through the WordPress dashboard. You’d typically need this when:

  • You’re locked out of wp-admin
  • A plugin or theme has corrupted something and the site won’t load
  • You need to manually upload a theme or plugin
  • You want to edit configuration files like wp-config.php

How to connect ftp into wordpress

Step 1: Get Your FTP Credentials

Before anything else, you’ll need four pieces of information from your hosting provider:

  1. FTP Host (usually your domain name or an IP address)
  2. FTP Username
  3. FTP Password
  4. Port (21 for FTP, 22 for SFTP)

You can find these in your hosting control panel (cPanel, Plesk, etc.) under something like “FTP Accounts.” If you can’t find them, just contact your host’s support and they’ll point you in the right direction.

Step 2: Choose an FTP Client

This is where people get stuck because there are quite a few options. Here’s my honest take on the popular ones:

:orange_square: FileZilla is probably the first one you’ll hear about. It’s free and works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. For basic use it’s fine, but I’ve personally run into sluggishness when uploading large files or a big batch of them at once. If you’re just editing a config file or swapping out a theme, it does the job.

:purple_square: Commander One is my go-to recommendation for Mac users specifically. It’s a paid app, but it has solid FTP/SFTP support, handles archives natively (which is a lifesaver when you want to zip files before uploading), and has a clean dual-panel interface. Worth it if you’re doing serious development work.

:red_square: Cyberduck is free and open-source, which is appealing. That said, I’ve seen quite a few complaints in forums about basic file operations acting up, like renaming or moving files not behaving as expected. It’s passable, but keep that in mind.

:blue_square: CloudMounter works on both Windows and Mac and takes a slightly different approach: it lets you mount your FTP server as if it were a local drive, so you access it right from File Explorer or Finder. If you’re not super technical and the idea of a traditional FTP client feels intimidating, this one makes the whole process much more familiar and approachable.

Step 3: Connect to Your Server

Once you’ve picked a client, open it up and enter your credentials. In FileZilla, for example, there’s a “Quick Connect” bar at the top where you paste in the host, username, password, and port, then hit connect.

After a successful connection, you’ll usually see your local files on one side and your server files on the other. Navigate to public_html (or www, depending on your host) and you’ll find your WordPress installation there.

Step 4: Navigate the WordPress File Structure

The main folders you’ll work with:

  • wp-content/themes/ — your themes live here
  • wp-content/plugins/ — same for plugins
  • wp-config.php — core config file, database credentials, etc.
  • wp-content/uploads/ — all your media files

If a plugin is causing a white screen of death, for instance, you can just rename the plugin’s folder via FTP (something like bad-plugin to bad-plugin-disabled) and WordPress will automatically deactivate it.

A Few Things Worth Knowing

Use SFTP over FTP whenever possible. It’s the same idea but with encryption, so your credentials aren’t sent in plain text. Most modern hosts support it and it only requires using port 22 instead of 21.

Also, always back up before making changes through FTP. Moving or deleting the wrong file can take down your whole site, and there’s no trash bin to recover from.

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask if you run into any issues during the connection process.

5 Likes
3

If the dashboard died during the update, I’d skip plain FTP and use your host’s file manager first, if they offer one. It’s faster for one fix, and you avoid client setup. I know @mikeappsreviewer leaned into FTP apps, which is fair, but for a single broken plugin, browser file access is often less pain.

If you still want server access from your computer, use SFTP. Grab the login from hosting, then connect with FileZilla or Commander One. On Mac, Commander One is cleaner for this stuff and less annoyng to browse with.

Path you want:
public_html, or www, or htdocs
then wp-content
then plugins

Find the plugin folder that was updating. Rename it.
Example:
plugin-name
to
plugin-name.off

WordPress reads it as missing and disables it.

If you do not know which plugin broke things, rename the whole plugins folder to plugins.old. If the site comes back, the issue is in there. Then rename it back to plugins and disable folders one by one.

Also check for a hidden .maintenance file in the site root. Delete it if it exists. Failed updates leave that behind and lock the site in maintenance mode way too often.

Small tip, if your host uses cPanel, File Manager is under Files. If it uses Plesk, look for File Manager or Websites and Domains.

That fix gets most people back into wp-admin fast.

4

You probably do not need “FTP” specifically. You need server file access, and in 2026 that should usually mean SFTP or your host’s file manager, not old plain FTP.

A couple things to add beyond what @mikeappsreviewer and @codecrafter already covered:

  1. Check your host’s recovery tools first
    Some managed WordPress hosts have a “disable plugins” option, restore point, or error log viewer in the panel. That can be faster than digging through folders blind.

  2. Look at error logs before renaming half the site
    In cPanel/Plesk or hosting dashboards, check error_log or PHP logs. If the plugin update triggered a fatal error, the log often names the exact plugin/file. Saves time and avoids the whack-a-mole method.

  3. If SFTP won’t connect, it’s often permissions or IP restrictions
    People assume the password is wrong, but sometimes SFTP is disabled, limited to certain users, or blocked by firewall rules. If port 22 fails, ask the host if SFTP access is actually enabled for your account.

  4. If you use a Mac, Commander One is a solid option
    I actually disagree a bit with the “just use whatever” advice. Some FTP clients are clunky for quick recovery work. Commander One is nice if you want a cleaner dual-pane file manager and straightforward SFTP access to WordPress files without fighting the interface.

  5. One more recovery file to check
    If the site is stuck after the update, besides plugin folders and .maintenance, check for:

    • wp-content/debug.log
    • weirdly incomplete plugin folders
    • permission issues on the updated plugin files

If you need the shortest path:

  • get SFTP credentials from host
  • connect with FileZilla or Commander One
  • open site root
  • go to wp-content/plugins/
  • rename the plugin folder that failed
  • reload the site

If you are not sure which folder is the right site, look for the one containing:

  • wp-admin
  • wp-content
  • wp-includes

That’s the WordPress install. Dont edit random stuff outside that unless you know what it is.

5

I’d add one thing the others barely touched: if the plugin update died mid-write, renaming the folder may not be enough. WordPress can still choke on an autoloaded must-use file, object cache drop-in, or broken PHP version mismatch.

Quick checks after you get file access:

  • wp-content/mu-plugins/
  • wp-content/object-cache.php
  • wp-content/advanced-cache.php

If a caching or security plugin left one of those behind, the site can stay broken even after the main plugin folder is renamed.

Also, if you’re locked out only on admin and the front end still loads, I’d inspect .htaccess before touching more plugin folders. Bad rewrite rules after updates are common.

On apps, @mikeappsreviewer and @sonhadordobosque mentioned client options, and I mostly agree, though I think people over-recommend FileZilla by default. On Mac, Commander One is a solid SFTP choice.

Commander One pros

  • cleaner dual-pane layout
  • easy drag and drop
  • SFTP feels less clunky than some free clients

Commander One cons

  • not fully free for all advanced connection features
  • overkill if you only need one rename and done
  • still depends on correct host credentials and permissions

So my order would be:

  1. Host error log
  2. Check mu-plugins and cache drop-ins
  3. Remove .maintenance
  4. Then use SFTP or Commander One for cleanup

That catches the cases where the “just rename the plugin” fix doesn’t fully recover the site.