If you use WordPress, or any other website/blogging software where you want to upload files & pictures to your webspace, you will know how slow & frustrating it can be using the basic ‘File Manager’ that is part of your webhosts control panel. If this is the case, you may want to consider using an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) program like Filezilla. Once installed, Filezilla gives you drag & drop upload and download capabilities for anything from a single picture, to whole folders and their contents at one time. It’s a simple program to use, and this short tutorial should help you to install, and start using it.You should have been given a username & password from your Host to access your control panel: This is probably also your FTP username/PW. If not, your host will provide this information.

If you haven’t already got FileZilla click here, download the file marked ‘FileZilla_2_2_30a_setup.exe’ Double click on the downloaded file & follow the prompts to install Filezilla. Launch Filezilla & click on ‘File’, then ‘Site Manager.’

Enter your Host: Usually your domain name: e.g. myblog.com

Select Logontype of ‘Normal’.

Enter Username & password. Then click ‘connect’ in the bottom bar & it should run through some connection information in the progress bar at the top before connecting you to your host: The left hand window will show files and folder on your computer: the right window files & folders on your server. If it doesn’t connect, it’s likely to be one of the bits of info above: check with your host.

This screenshot of my Filezilla shows, in the right hand window, my blogs root directory on the webserver. As you can see, it has a load of PHP files in it, + 3 folders: WP-content, WP-admin and WP-include (The other 2 are folders I added). Find this folder in your webspace & you’ll know where you are.The window on the left is the hard drive of my PC. To upload files, simply find in the left hand window, and drag them across to the correct directory in the right hand window. To download files to your PC, drag from right to left.

Simple, and indispensable once you start using it. Any questions? Drop me a comment, and I’ll try to help.