Hosting

Deploying a site over FTP

What is FTP deploy

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a protocol for uploading files to a server. Webrelay uploads your site directly to hosting — no need to download a ZIP and upload it manually.

How to upload a site

1. On the site page, click "To hosting"
2. Choose your hosting provider (Timeweb, Beget, REG.RU, SprintHost, or Other)
3. Enter your FTP connection details
4. Click "Deploy"

Webrelay remembers your credentials (except the password) for future deploys.

Where to find FTP credentials

Timeweb

1. Control panel → Hosting → FTP
2. Host: shown in the panel (usually an IP address)
3. Login: your hosting login
4. Password: your hosting password
5. Folder: /public_html (for the main domain)
6. Port: 21

Beget

1. Panel → Sites → FTP
2. Host: shown in the panel
3. Login: your Beget login
4. Password: your panel password
5. Folder: /site-name/public_html — Beget creates a folder named after each site, and the files go into the public_html inside it
6. Port: 21

REG.RU

1. Hosting → FTP access
2. Host: shown in the panel
3. Login: FTP login (may differ from your account login)
4. Password: FTP password
5. Folder: depends on the panel. In ispmanager — www/your-domain.ru; in cPanel and Plesk — the your-domain.ru folder without www. The exact path is shown in the panel under the "Root directory" column.
6. Port: 21

SprintHost

1. Panel → Hosting → FTP
2. Folder: domains/your-domain.ru/public_html — exactly like this, not just public_html
3. Port: 21

For a detailed walkthrough with SprintHost specifics, see the article migrating a site from Tilda to SprintHost.

VPS/VDS (your own server)

For a VPS, use SFTP (more secure than FTP):

1. Host: your server's IP
2. Login: server user (root or a created one)
3. Password: SSH password
4. Folder: /var/www/html or /home/user/public_html
5. Port: 22
6. Protocol: SFTP

Browsing folders on the server

Not sure which folder to upload to? Use the "Browse" button in the deploy modal. Webrelay connects to FTP and shows the folder structure — pick the one you need.

Auto-deploy

Enable auto-deploy so the site is uploaded to hosting automatically after each backup:

1. Open the deploy modal
2. Fill in the FTP details
3. Check "Auto-deploy after each backup"
4. Click "Deploy"

Now, with every backup (manual or scheduled), the site is automatically updated on your hosting.

Common errors

"Connection refused" / "Could not connect"

• Check the host and port
• Make sure FTP is enabled in your hosting panel
• Some hosts block FTP by default — enable it in the settings

"Login incorrect" / "Authorization error"

• Check the login and password
• On some hosts the FTP login differs from the account login
• Try resetting the password in your hosting panel

"Permission denied" / "No permissions"

• The /public_html folder may be protected — check the access rights (chmod 755)
• On a VPS, make sure the user has write permission to the target folder

"Timeout" / "Wait time exceeded"

• The hosting firewall may be blocking connections — add Webrelay's IP address to the allowlist
• Try SFTP instead of FTP (port 22)

FAQ

Why is FTP deploy better than downloading a ZIP?

With FTP deploy, Webrelay uploads files directly to your hosting — no need to download an archive, unpack it, and upload it manually through the file manager. Especially convenient for repeated site updates.

Does Webrelay store my FTP password?

The credentials (host, login, folder) are saved for future deploys, but the password is not — you need to enter it again. With auto-deploy, the password is stored encrypted.

Which folder should I upload the site to?

There's no single answer: on most hosts the folder depends on your domain, and on REG.RU it also depends on the control panel. On Timeweb, for the main site it's /public_html; on Beget — /site-name/public_html; on SprintHost — domains/your-domain.ru/public_html; on REG.RU — www/your-domain.ru in ispmanager or your-domain.ru in cPanel/Plesk.

If you're unsure, click "Browse" in the deploy window: Webrelay shows the server's folder structure and warns you if the selected folder looks like a parent of the web root (with public_html inside it). This matters: files uploaded one level too high won't disappear, but the site won't open.

FTP or SFTP — which to choose?

FTP (port 21) works for regular shared hosting. On a VPS/VDS, use SFTP (port 22) — it's more secure, as data is transferred over an encrypted channel.

Can the site be updated automatically?

Yes. Enable auto-deploy — after each backup (manual or scheduled), the site is automatically re-uploaded to hosting. Learn more in the Backups section.