Upload files using SFTP with WinSCP for Windows

SFTP is often associated with Linux. But with WinSCP, it's easy to upload files from a Windows computer to a Linux computer.

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In this guide, we'll walk through how to connect to your server and transfer files via SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) using the free Windows program WinSCP. SFTP is a more secure protocol than FTP because the traffic is encrypted, which is why we recommend it when you want to upload files to your server.

Prerequiste

Start by downloading WinSCP for Windows and installing it on your computer.

Create a connection via SFTP to your server

Start WinSCP and select SFTP under File protocol.

Enter your server's IP address and your username (you’ll enter the password later), then click Save.

Name the connection and click OK.

Now you’ve created a new site. Select it and click Login.

The first time you log in, a message like this will appear. Every computer that communicates via the SSH protocol has a unique identifier—a so‑called SSH host key. This warning tells you that WinSCP does not recognize the new key and asks whether you want to store it for future reference.

Click Yes.

Enter your server password and click OK.

You’re now connected to the server and ready to upload files.

Upload or download files

On the left side, you see the contents of your local hard drive, and on the right side, you see the file system of your server. Locate the files you want to upload on your local drive, select them, then click Upload.

Choose where you want the files to be placed and click OK to start the upload.

You can also download files from your server by selecting one or more files and then pressing the Download button.