FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

FTP is how you transfer your website files from your computer to the server, where others can access them from the internet. You will need FTP if you plan to modify your own website or upload new content.

First, you need an FTP program. There are many free choices available, which you can download from the internet. Some programs seem to work better with certain hosts. We have had good luck using FileZilla - from the same people who make Mozilla and Firefox. You can download it here. (Choose "FileZilla Client")

In any FTP program you will be asked for some specific information to connect you to your account on our server. Here is the information that you will have to enter:

host: ftp.spiritserver.org

user: yourwebsite@spiritserver.org
(eg. spiritserver@spiritserver.org)

password: your password

Don't worry about the other settings like port number and proxy. They should be taken care of automatically.

Once you are successfully connected you should see a list of files on the left and a list of files on the right. The files on the left are the files on your computer and the files on the right are on the server. You should be able to drag and drop files from one side to the other.

Navigating in FTP: generally there will be a folder icon with 3 dots (...) at the top of the list of files on both sides. Clicking on this folder icon is how you navigate UP one level in the directory.

File Names: ***IMPORTANT*** to avoid problems, all files should be named with all lowercase letters with no spaces in between (eg. my_favorite_page.html). Also your homepage must always be named index.html or else the server won't be able to find it.

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