Once I'm ready to publish/deploy my website for the world to enjoy over the Web, I need a domain name and a server to host it. If I'm not hosting the domain on my company's computers, I've probably paid a hosting provider (such as CentriqHosting, Arvixe, 1&1, etc.) to handle that part for me. Even so, I still need one more thing. I need to get my content (those files I've been testing locally) onto that remote server. Regardless of the tool you use to accomplish this, the protocol you use is usually FTP (File Transfer Protocol).
FileZilla (Client) is free, open-source software that lets you handle FTP uploads/downloads between two computers.
Check out the "FileZilla and FTP – Setup – Phase I" video below for a tutorial on using Filezilla to publish a website you've been working on locally to your remote, live webserver.
In a nutshell, here are those steps.
Create a Site Definition
A site definition saves all the settings you'll need to continue publishing your local website files out to the remote live server.- Go to: File menu, Site Manager...
- Click: New Site, then name your new site definition
- Fill out the General tab settings (your hosted FTP upload location, your FTP username and password, etc.)
- Fill out the Advanced tab. Identify the location of your local website files (Default Local Directory) and the file path on your remote server for this site definition (Default Remote Directory)
- You can then connect. In the future, this site definition is saved as a quick load option off the dropdown arrow directly underneath the File menu.
Upload Updated Content
- Once you are connected (showing files in the local directory pane on the bottom left and showing files in the correct remote directory pane in the bottom right), you can upload any files or subfolders of new or updated content.
- Simply select the new/updated files or folders on the left, then right click them for the Upload option, or drag them into the correct spot on the right.
Common Errors to Avoid
- Getting file locations out of sync. Be sure you are uploading local files to the correct remote directory. If you have moved into a subfolder of your root directory to upload a file, be sure to navigate to the matching subfolder on the remote server before you upload - or you may be putting the file into the wrong remote directory.
- Failing to update the remote server for local website restructuring. If you rename a file or folder locally, or move files to different folders in the website structure, it's up to you to manually make changes on the remote server to reflect those local changes (deleting files and folders with former names, moving files to the correct new folders, etc.)
Thanks, and be sure to check out the following video for "FileZilla, Phase 2", which tackles maintaining content and updating/adding site definitions. As always, best wishes on your continuing career development!
