How do I connect securely to upload files with FTPS?

Use explicit FTPS on port 21, with the hosting server's hostname, the exact FTP username and that account's password. In FileZilla, choose FTP – File Transfer Protocol and Require explicit FTP over TLS. The main FTP account uses your cPanel password; a separate FTP user has its own password. FTPS and SFTP are different services. Do not switch to plain FTP or accept a certificate mismatch to make a failed connection work.

Find your account details and secure hostname

Sign in to your account, open the correct hosting service in Services and choose Log in to cPanel. On a phone, choose cPanel.
In cPanel, open FTP Accounts and choose Configure FTP Client beside the account you intend to use. Under Manual Settings, copy the exact FTP Username and check the FTP & explicit FTPS port. Use 21 for explicit FTPS.
For the secure server address, use the hostname in the address bar of the cPanel tab opened from your hosting service. Copy only the hostname between https:// and the next colon or slash. Leave out https://, :2083 and everything after it. The full cPanel address contains session details and must not be pasted into a file-transfer app or shared.
The domain-based FTP server shown in Manual Settings can differ from the name covered by the FTP certificate. Do not guess ftp. plus your domain. If you cannot identify the hosting server's hostname, ask Tech/Server to confirm the secure FTPS address before entering a password.
Use the password for the selected FTP account. The main account listed under Special FTP Accounts uses the cPanel password and can access files across the hosting account. Keep that access to yourself. For a developer who needs only one website folder, ask us to help arrange a separate account limited to that folder rather than sharing your main login.

Set up FileZilla

Open the desktop FileZilla client, then choose File → Site Manager → New Site. Give the entry a name you recognise. The connection settings are under General.
Set Protocol to FTP – File Transfer Protocol. Set Encryption to Require explicit FTP over TLS. This requires the secure connection instead of allowing a fallback to unencrypted FTP.
In Host, enter only the secure hosting hostname found above. Set Port to 21, matching FTP & explicit FTPS port in cPanel. Do not use the cPanel web port or select SFTP.
Set Logon Type to Ask for password and enter the exact FTP Username in User. Choose Connect, then enter the account's password when FileZilla asks. Do not put a password into the Host field or save it in a shared screenshot.
Read any certificate prompt before continuing. If the certificate is expired, untrusted or does not match the hostname, cancel and ask us to verify it. Do not accept the mismatch, turn off certificate checks or change encryption to plain FTP.

Transfer to the right folder

Once connected, the remote side shows the server folders accessible to that FTP account. A folder-limited user may start inside its assigned folder rather than seeing the whole hosting account.
In cPanel, open Domains and check Document Root for the domain you are updating. Match that website folder on the remote side before transferring. Do not assume every website uses public_html, or create an extra public_html inside a folder-limited account.
Back up existing website files before replacing them. Upload only the intended files, review any overwrite prompt and check the transfer results for failures.
Open the affected website pages after the transfer. For a full WordPress move, follow our migration guide too. File transfer alone does not import a database or update website settings.

If the connection fails

For a login error, check the full username, selected account and password. For the main account, use our cPanel-password guide if you need to reset it. That reset does not change a separate FTP user's password.
If login succeeds but a folder listing or transfer times out, stop changing passwords and send us the connection log's relevant error lines. Keep TLS enabled. We can check the connection and folder access without you exposing the account through plain FTP.
Open Support → New Ticket → Tech/Server with the hostname, port, app name, time and exact error. Remove passwords and session URLs from screenshots or logs. For a small urgent upload, use File Manager through cPanel while we investigate the FTPS connection.