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In order to use FTP in Dreamweaver, you either need a site definition or you need to setup siteless file editing. Dreamweaver needs one of these two in order to know how to connect to the server. Starting with Dreamweaver MX 2004, you can connect directly to an FTP server without a formal site definition (siteless file editing), however a site definition provides more functionality within Dreamweaver. Most Dreamweaver users prefer to take advantage of the site definition's additional functionality, so this TechNote will focus on that method. To learn more about site definitions, see How to define a site in Dreamweaver (TechNote tn_14028) or refer to the Dreamweaver help files (Help > Using Dreamweaver > Dreamweaver Basics > Setting Up a Dreamweaver Site).

To set up or edit the FTP settings in Dreamweaver, follow the steps below:

Choose Site > Manage Sites.

In the Manage Sites dialog box, either click the New button or select your existing site definition and click the Edit button.

In the Site Definition dialog box, you will see two tabs: Basic and Advanced. For the purposes of this TechNote, we will focus on the Advanced tab, since it includes more FTP options than the Basic tab.

From the Advanced tab, choose the Remote Info category. It should look like this:

In the Access drop-down menu, select FTP, once you have determined that FTP is your best option.

In the FTP host field, enter the host name of the FTP host to which you upload files for your website. Your FTP host is the full Internet name of a computer system, such as ftp.mindspring.com. Enter the full host name without any additional text. In particular, don't add a protocol name in front of the host name. Port 21 is the default port for receiving FTP connections, however sometimes server administrators change the port setting to another port to prevent unauthorized FTP access. In those situations, you can append a colon and the port number to the FTP host entry. For example, if the port is 29, you would enter ftp.mindspring.com:29.

In the Host directory field, enter the host directory at the remote site where you store your documents that are visible to the public.If you’re uncertain about what to enter as the host directory, contact the server’s administrator. Or, try leaving the text box blank. On some servers, your root directory is the same as the directory you first connect to with FTP. To find out, connect to the server. If a folder with a name like public_html, or www, or your login name, appears in the Remote File view in your Files panel, that’s probably the directory you should use in the Host Directory text box.

In the Login and Password fields, enter the login name and password that you use to connect to the FTP server.

Click the Test button to test your FTP host, host directory, login name and password.

Dreamweaver saves your password by default. Deselect the Save checkbox if you prefer that Dreamweaver prompt you for a password each time you connect to the remote server.

Select the Use passive FTP checkbox if your firewall configuration requires use of passive FTP. Passive FTP enables your local software to set up the FTP connection rather than requesting the remote server to set it up. If you’re not sure whether to use passive FTP, check with your system administrator, or try both checking and unchecking Use Passive FTP.

Select the Use firewall checkbox if you connect to the remote server from behind a firewall.

Click Firewall Settings button to launch the Dreamweaver Site preference options to edit your firewall host or port. Preferences are discussed in the next section.

Select the Use Secure FTP (SFTP) checkbox to use SFTP for secure authentication. SFTP uses encryption and public keys to secure a connection to your testing server. Note: Your server must be running an SFTP service.

The Server Compatibility button is only in version 7.0.1 of Dreamweaver MX 2004. If you are using Dreamweaver MX 2004 and you do not see this button, download the 7.0.1 Updater. This button should only be used for troubleshooting purposes. It is especially useful for sites that used to work in prior versions of Dreamweaver, but do not work in Dreamweaver MX 2004. See Troubleshooting FTP Issues in Dreamweaver (TechNote tn_14834) for more information on these options.

The checkboxes for "Automatically upload files to server on save" and "Enable file check in and check out" are not specific to FTP sites. Refer to Dreamweaver help for more information on these two options.
Note: The FTP Host, Host Directory, Login and Password information must be obtained from the system administrator for the company hosting your site. No one else has access to this information. Enter the information exactly as your system administrator gives it to you.