---
title: "Creating FTP Users"
source: "https://docs.nexcess.com/hosting/server-administration/creating-ftp-users/"
description: "FTP makes uploading files to your server easy. Use your cPanel or Plesk login for FTP or create extra users for added security. Learn how in cPanel, Plesk, and…"
vertical: "Hosting"
date: "2024-03-04"
last_modified: "2026-07-02"
---

# Creating FTP Users

FTP (file transfer protocol) is a quick and easy way to upload files to your server. If you have a cPanel or Plesk server, the main cPanel or Plesk login credentials are also your main FTP credentials. Check out our FTP walkthroughs for [Plesk](https://www.liquidweb.com/help-docs/uploading-files-using-ftp-in-plesk/) and [cPanel](https://docs.nexcess.com/hosting/control-panel/whm/cpanel/file-management/uploading-files-using-ftp-in-cpanel/) to learn more. You can also, however, create additional FTP users. This could be helpful if you have a developer who you don’t want accessing your whole cPanel account. This tutorial will show you how to create these additional FTP users in:

- [cPanel](#cpanel)
- [InterWorx](#interworx)
- [Plesk](#plesk)
- [Cloud Sites](#cloudsites)

If you have Cloud Sites, follow the instructions in [Uploading Files Using FTP in Cloud Sites](https://www.liquidweb.com/help-docs/using-ftp-in-cloud-sites/).

## Creating FTP Users in cPanel

Watch this video or scroll down for further instructions:

1. Log into your domain’s cPanel account.
2. In the **Files** section, click on **FTP Accounts**.  
    ![cPanel home page](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_ryotHy.png)
3. Enter the username you want to assign to your new FTP user.  
    ![adding a username](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_QhpI5x.gif)
4. If you have subdomains on your account, select the domain where you want your FTP user to be created.  
    ![select a domain](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_Vzd50C.gif)
5. Choose and confirm a strong password for your user.  
    ![choosing a password](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_ANq6mP.gif)
6. The **Directory** determines where your FTP user will be able to view and upload files. cPanel defaults to creating a subdirectory, but you can change the filepath to whatever you need your new user to access.  
    ![choosing a directory](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_VF7kXW.png)
7. If you want your FTP user to have a quota, add a quota amount.
8. Click **Create FTP Account**.

Once you’ve created your user, you can follow the instructions in [Uploading Files Using FTP in cPanel](https://docs.nexcess.com/hosting/control-panel/whm/cpanel/file-management/uploading-files-using-ftp-in-cpanel/) to access your server with the new user. Additional FTP users cannot use SFTP because they are not SSH users. However, you can use FTPS (which is recommended for security).

## Creating FTP Users in InterWorx Web Panel

1. Login to your InterWorx (SiteWorx) Server using the domain user credentials. For help with logging in, see [Logging into InterWorx Web Panel](https://docs.nexcess.com/hosting/control-panel/interworx/logging-into-interworx-web-panel/)).
2. Click on **Hosting Features** in the left navigation bar, then click on **FTP**, then click **Accounts**.

![ftp account link highlighted](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_Kjt0HE.png)

3. On this screen, you’ll see all current FTP user accounts for the domain (the domain user is also an FTP user). You can change an account password, delete an account, or create a new FTP account. To make changes to an existing account, click **Edit**. To delete an existing account, click **Delete**.

![current ftp accounts list](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_9dwuSC.png)

4. To create a new account, **enter a name** for the FTP account in the FTP Username box. **Select a password** for the account and **confirm it** in the second box (InterWorx can recommend a strong password using a random generator. You can use this password by clicking the **Generate** button). **Select the home directory** for the user (the user will only have access to that directory and its sub-directories). Click **Add** to create the account.

![ftp new account add screen](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_BsAkP1.png)

## Creating FTP Users in Plesk

1. Log into Plesk.
2. In Power User view, find your domain in the **Websites & Domains** tab. In Service Provider view, click on **Domains** in the left navigation menu and select the domain you need.
3. Click on **FTP Access**.  
    ![Plesk domains listing](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_13AIi2.png)
4. Click **Add an FTP Account**.  
    ![creating an FTP account](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_z2lUHQ.png)
5. Enter a **FTP account name**.  
    ![choosing an account name](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_VrkEEz.gif)
6. Choose the root directory for this user. You can click the file folder icon to see a visual representation of all your folders.  
    ![choosing a root directory](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_dOPHbP.png)
7. Choose and confirm a strong password.  
    ![choosing a password](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_A8OFeF.gif)
8. If you want to limit the amount of content the user can upload, enter a number in the **Hard disk quota** field. Otherwise, you can leave the **Unlimited** box checked.
9. Now you’ll select the permissions this user will have. **Read permission** means the user can see the contents of the directory you choose and all directories within that chosen directory. **Write permission** means the user can add content to the directory and sub-directories.  
    ![giving FTP user permissions](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_rujWjb.png)
10. Click **OK** to create your FTP user.

Once you’ve created your user, you can follow the instructions in [Uploading Files Using FTP in Plesk](https://www.liquidweb.com/help-docs/uploading-files-using-ftp-in-plesk/) to access your server with the new user.

## Creating FTP Users in Cloud Sites

1. Log into your Cloud Sites control panel. Click on the website you want to create an FTP user for from the list.  
    ![site selected and highlighted](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_1t3yuk.png)
2. Scroll down to the **FTP** section of the site management page. Click the section to open it.  
    ![ftp section highlighted](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_HeDRMP.png)aa
3. Click **Create User** to begin adding an FTP user.  
    ![create user button highlighted](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_435IAh.png)
4. A pop-up will appear, enter your FTP user credentials. Make sure to use a strong password. For helpful tips on creating a secure password, see our article [Best Practice: Creating a Secure Password](https://docs.nexcess.com/hosting/security/best-practice-creating-a-secure-password/).  
    ![pop up for create user showing](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_kcAwit.png)
5. Once you enter the credentials, select the directory and files the user will have access to. Most commonly, you will select the entire site so the user has access to both the site and all files associated with it.  
    ![user info entered](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_ZDxcXf.png)
6. Once you’ve entered the user information and selected the access, click **Create New User** to finish the process.  
    ![create new user button highlighted](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_ljN9Br.png)
7. The user will create and will show in the list in the FTP section of your site manager.  
    ![user showing in list](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/help.liquidweb.com_p0fvaY.png)