Setting up FTP accounts through Plesk

What is FTP?

Firstly File Transfer Protocol (FTP), is a network protocol that allows you to exchange or transfer data from one machine (computer, server, etc.) to another through a network such as the internet.

What are FTP accounts

FTP accounts are the accounts setup to allow users to gain access to your webspace(s) using the FTP protocol in he event that anonymous FTP has been disabled either by yourself or your web hosting provider.

How does Plesk allow you to create FTP accounts?

Plesk provides you the ability to add, delete, or edit the details of FTP accounts that you have already created within your shared hosting space (naturally assuming you have are using a Plesk control panel ;-)).

Well I have my own IP address, what else can I do?

If you have a dedicated IP address assigned to your website/ web space you are also able to enable or disable FTP anonymous FTP access to your web space

But, this is highly discouraged.  This creates a massive security risk for you, and for those that share your server.

Why is it useful to setup an FTP account?

The file transfer protocol is a useful way for accessing the content of your webspace.  It allows you to mass upload/ download of files, and be used to setup permissions on certain files or folders if the need arises – without the correct permissions some files cannot function correctly within your web hosting space.

Finally by setting up an FTP account you are able to automate site/ account backups on a pre-scheduled or regular basis, as well as backing up your site/ account data manually to, for example, your own PC.

What can you do with a FTP account?

Using your FTP account you are given the option to specify a certain directory that the account is able to access, so that only that account and those directories below that can be accessed by the specific FTP account you are setting up.  If you need to you are even able to specify whether that FTP account is able to see, save or edit the files within the directories that it has access to.  Finally you can also limit the size directories for each individual FTP account thereby ensuring that any FTP account you setup will end up using all the disk space that you have assigned to your shared Plesk website hosting account.