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SSH gives you a command line on your website, which is handy for tools such as WP-CLI, Composer or Git. SFTP uses the same login to transfer files over an encrypted connection. You can sign in with an SSH key or a password.

Difficulty

Intermediate

Time

10 minutes

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Open the SSH settings

1

Open your website

Go to Websites and click your website.
2

Open Developer tools

Open Advanced in the top menu and choose Developer tools. Scroll down to SSH key manager and SSH password authentication.
SSH key manager with an Add button, the SSH login command (hidden) with a copy icon, a key named My laptop, and below it SSH password authentication with the login command and a password Reset button

SSH key manager and password authentication

Both cards show your login command with a copy button. It looks like ssh -p 22 username@server-ip. Copy it from the panel rather than typing it.
An SSH key or password applies to the whole website, not to one folder. If you only want to give someone access to part of your files, create an FTP account limited to a folder instead.
Keys are safer than passwords and you won’t need to type anything to log in.
1

Create a key on your computer if you don't have one

On Windows 10/11, macOS or Linux, open a terminal and run ssh-keygen -t ed25519, then press Enter to accept the defaults. Your public key is saved in a file ending in .pub, usually ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub.
2

Click Add in the SSH key manager

Enter a Name you’ll recognise, such as My laptop.
3

Paste the public key

Open the .pub file in a text editor, copy the single line that starts with ssh-ed25519 or ssh-rsa, and paste it into Public key. You can also click Upload file and choose the .pub file.
Add SSH key form with a Name field, a Public key box, an Upload file button and Cancel and Upload buttons

Add an SSH key

4

Click Upload

You’ll see ‘My laptop’ SSH key added and the key appears in the list.
Only ever paste the public key (the .pub file). Never share your private key with anyone, including us.
To remove a key, click the bin icon next to it.

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Option 2: Sign in with a password

1

Click Reset

In SSH password authentication, click Reset next to Password.
2

Choose a password

It needs a lowercase letter, an uppercase letter, a number, a special character and at least 10 characters. Click the key icon to generate one.
SSH password authentication card with a new password field, the password rules with green ticks, a key generator icon and Cancel and Save buttons

Set an SSH password

3

Click Save

You’ll see SSH password saved.

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Connect with SSH

1

Copy the login command

Click the copy icon next to the login command in the panel.
2

Paste it into a terminal

Use Terminal on macOS/Linux or PowerShell/Windows Terminal on Windows, and press Enter.
3

Accept the server's fingerprint

The first time, type yes when asked if you want to continue connecting.
4

Log in

If you added a key, you’re in straight away. Otherwise enter your SSH password (nothing appears as you type; that’s normal).
You start in your home folder. Your website’s public files are in public_html.

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Connect with SFTP (FileZilla)

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Troubleshooting

The key or password wasn’t accepted. Check you pasted the public key and are connecting from the computer that has the matching private key, or set a new password with Reset. Make sure the username in your command matches the one shown in the panel.
Restarting the website container closes all SSH sessions. See Restart container. Reconnect once it’s back.
Check you’re using port 22 and the exact server address from the login command. Some workplace networks block outgoing SSH; try another network.
This can appear if your website was moved to another server. If you’re expecting it, remove the old entry with ssh-keygen -R followed by the server address, then connect again. If you weren’t expecting a change, open a ticket before continuing.

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Need Extra Help?

If you encounter any issues, our support team is ready to assist:

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Last Updated: October 2026