Using the File Manager

Using the File Manager

What you'll learn: how to upload, edit, and organize your website's files right inside your browser.

The File Manager lets you do everything you'd do with files on your computer — upload, download, rename, edit, delete — without installing any extra software.

Open the File Manager

Sidebar → Sites → Files.

You'll see a folder view of your hosting account. Most websites live in a folder called public_html or htdocs or www — that's where files served on the internet go.

[screenshot here: File Manager]

Common things you'll do

Upload a file

  1. Open the folder you want to upload into.
  2. Click Upload.
  3. Drag files in, or click to browse.
  4. Wait for the green checkmarks.

Create a new file or folder

Click New file or New folder, give it a name, and press Enter.

Edit a text file

Click a file (HTML, CSS, JS, txt, etc.) → Edit. The built-in editor opens. Make changes and click Save.

Rename or move

Right-click a file → Rename or Move.

Delete

Select files → Delete. (You'll be asked to confirm — deleting is permanent.)

Compress and extract

  • Select files → Compress to make a .zip.
  • Right-click a .zip → Extract to unpack it.

This is the easiest way to upload a whole site at once: zip it on your computer, upload the .zip, then extract.

Where to put website files

For a domain yourbusiness.com, the website files usually go in:

  • The folder named after the domain (like public_html/ or yourbusiness.com/)
  • An index.html or index.php is the file that loads when someone visits the site

If you're not sure, your hosting provider can tell you exactly which folder maps to which domain.

Permissions (the short version)

You'll occasionally see numbers like 644 or 755 next to files. These are file permissions:

  • 644 is the safe default for regular files.
  • 755 is the default for folders.
  • Files that are 777 are usually a security risk — avoid this unless an app specifically requires it.

If something isn't loading and you suspect permissions, right-click → Permissions → set to 644 for files or 755 for folders.

Tips

  • Always keep a local copy. The File Manager is convenient, but having a backup on your laptop saves you when things go wrong.
  • Edit small things in the File Manager, big things on your computer. For a quick fix, the in-browser editor is great. For real development, edit locally and upload.
  • Don't delete files you don't recognize. They might be needed by your app.

If something goes wrong

  • Upload stalls — try smaller files, or zip a folder and upload the zip.
  • "File too large" — your hosting plan has an upload size limit. Use SFTP for very large files (see Uploading your website files via SFTP).
  • "Permission denied" when saving — file permissions are wrong. Check 644 for files, 755 for folders.

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