How to Create Additional FTP Accounts in Plesk

If you need to give someone else FTP access to your website — like a developer working on a specific section, or a collaborator who needs to upload files to a particular folder — you can create additional FTP accounts in Plesk. Each account can be restricted to its own directory, so users only access what they need.

Step 1: add a new FTP account

1. Log in to your Plesk control panel.
2. Go to Websites & Domains.
3. Find your domain, then click FTP Access (under "Files & Databases").
4. Click Add an FTP Account.
5. Fill in the details:
   • FTP account name — this will be the username the person uses to connect
   • Home directory — click the folder icon to browse and select the directory this user should access. Leaving it blank grants access to the entire domain root (not recommended)
   • Password — set a strong password, or click Generate to create one automatically
6. Click OK.

Step 2: share the FTP login details

Give the user these details to connect via their FTP client (FileZilla, Cyberduck, etc.):

• Host: your domain name or server IP address
• Port: 21
• Username: the FTP account name you just created
• Password: the password you set
• Protocol: require FTPS (FTP over TLS) — standard FTP is insecure and may be blocked

Managing existing FTP accounts

To modify an FTP account (change password, home directory, etc.):

1. Go to Websites & Domains > FTP Access.
2. Click the account name in the list.
3. Make your changes and click OK.

To remove an FTP account:

1. Go to Websites & Domains > FTP Access.
2. Select the checkbox next to the account you want to remove.
3. Click Remove, then confirm.

Important notes

• The main FTP account (the one tied to your subscription) cannot be deleted — only additional accounts can be removed.
• Always restrict home directories to the smallest folder needed. Giving access to / (the entire domain root) means the user can see and modify everything, including config files.
• Plesk requires FTPS (FTP over TLS) for additional FTP accounts on Linux. Standard unencrypted FTP may be blocked by the server.
• If you get a "nonexistent physical directories" error after creating an account, make sure the home directory you selected actually exists in the File Manager.
• FTP accounts are per-domain — an account created under one domain cannot access files on another domain.

Troubleshooting

• Connection refused? Make sure your FTP client is using port 21 and FTPS protocol (not SFTP — that is SSH, a different thing entirely).
• User can see all files despite setting a home directory? Double-check the home directory path. It should point to a specific subfolder, not the domain root.
• Login fails after creating the account? Wait a few minutes for the account to propagate. If it still fails, reset the password and try again.
• No "FTP Access" link showing? You may be in Service Provider view. Switch to Power User view, or look under Domains > your domain > FTP Access.