How to Setup SFTP for your WordPress Site

SFTP is a way for you to access the files and folders on a website via a client program on your local computer. SFTP stands for Secure File Transfer Protocol (or SSH File Transfer Protocol). It was designed as an extension of the SSH (Secure SHell) protocol. We only support SFTP connections within the CRM to ensure your data remains safe and encrypted.

Covered in this Article:

How to use SFTP to connect to your WordPress site?

How to use SFTP to connect to your WordPress site?

1. 1Go to Sites -> WordPress -> Advanced Settings -> FTP Access
2. 2Click on Add FTP User and set credentials.
3. 3The Host URL, Port number, Username, and Password can be used to log in to a client program and access the WordPress files. Make sure to keep these credentials safe. The UserName and Password are unique for each user and you can even reset these credentials.

There are many free and premium ones to choose from, we recommend one of the following:

• (Free – macOS or Windows)
• (Free – Windows)
• (Premium – Windows)
• (Free – macOS or Windows)
• (Premium – macOS)

Before you begin

“How to Setup SFTP for your WordPress Site” is part of the Sites → Websites area in Adaptive AI. Create pages, apply templates and themes, publish, and manage website settings. Integration and mobile changes should be tested for authorization, data scope, synchronization direction, and user access before they become part of a live process. The objective is not merely to save a setting; it is to confirm the result works for the staff member or customer who will depend on it.

• Confirm you are connecting the intended business account, user, workspace, device, or external service.
• Review the requested permissions and grant only the access required for the documented feature.
• Identify which system owns each field or record and whether synchronization is one-way, two-way, immediate, or scheduled.
• Use test data that is recognizable and safe to remove after the connection is verified.
• Record the administrator, connection date, credential owner, and business purpose before relying on the integration.

Verify the result

After completing the instructions in this guide, use a controlled test before treating the setup as finished. A saved screen or success message confirms configuration, but only an end-to-end test confirms the business outcome.

1. 1Complete authorization and confirm the connected account, status, scopes, and selected resources are correct.
2. 2Create or update one test item in the source system and verify the expected result appears in the destination.
3. 3Test the reverse direction only when the integration is documented as two-way.
4. 4Confirm assignment, field mapping, timestamps, attachments, notifications, and duplicate handling.
5. 5Sign in as the intended non-admin user or mobile user and verify only the appropriate features and data are available.

Troubleshooting checklist

If the result differs from what you expected, preserve the current state and isolate one variable at a time. Start with the checks below before deleting the configuration or rebuilding it from scratch.

• Reconnect the account when authorization is expired, revoked, attached to the wrong user, or missing a required scope.
• Check field mapping, required fields, record ownership, supported formats, and synchronization direction when data is incomplete.
• Review integration or activity logs for the first rejected request and its exact timestamp.
• Confirm the external service, app version, operating system, and network connection meet current requirements.
• Avoid repeatedly disconnecting a production integration until you understand whether reconnection could duplicate or remove data.

Best practices

• Use organization-owned credentials where possible instead of relying on a departing employee's personal account.
• Maintain an inventory of active integrations, owners, scopes, renewal requirements, and downstream workflows.
• Remove unused connections and access promptly while preserving any data or audit history the business must retain.
• Test integration changes with one record before enabling bulk synchronization or customer-facing automation.
• Review connected apps after password, role, security-policy, or platform changes rather than waiting for a silent failure.