FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is the protocol used to exchanges files between computers on the Internet. Having an FTP account allows you to access your WordPress site’s files directly, without having to log in to the dashboard.

To access these files, you will need a third-party FTP client, like FileZilla to access these files. Most of the time, your hosting account’s cPanel comes with a built-in FTP server that is easy to use.

In order to use an FTP client, you will need the following:

• Knowledge of which FTP protocol that your host is using- it could either be FTP, SFTP, or FTPS. Each is different.
• Host server- this should be in the form of an IP address (like 123.115.1.20), or ftp.yourdomainname.
• FTP username and password
• FTP client- either via your host’s cPanel, or a third-party FTP client like FileZilla

Once you are logged in, the left pane is your local computer and the right pane is your webroot. You can navigate through directories just like on your local computer. You are able to create folders and delete files from here. To transfer, simply move files from the left to the right to upload or from the right to the left to download.