Developer Tools

How to use the file manager

~1 min read

The browser-based file manager lets you browse, edit, upload, and manage files on your server without an FTP client or SSH session.

Steps

  1. 1

    Open the file manager

    Open your server and click "Files" in the sidebar to open the server-wide file manager. To access files scoped to one application, open the application and click its "Files" tab.

  2. 2

    Navigate the directory tree

    Use the left panel to browse directories. Click a folder to expand it. The right panel shows the contents of the selected directory.

  3. 3

    Edit a file

    Click any text file to open it in the built-in code editor. Make your changes and click "Save". The file is saved directly on the server.

  4. 4

    Upload files

    Click "Upload" in the toolbar, or drag and drop files directly into the file panel. Multiple files can be uploaded at once.

  5. 5

    Change file permissions

    Right-click a file or folder and select "Permissions". Enter the octal value (e.g. 644 for files, 755 for directories) and click Apply.

  6. 6

    Create, rename, or delete

    Use the toolbar buttons or right-click context menu to create new files or folders, rename items, or delete them.

  7. 7

    Zip and unzip archives

    Right-click a file or folder and select "Compress" to create a .zip archive. Right-click a .zip file and select "Extract" to unzip it in place.

Watch out

  • Editing Nginx config files incorrectly can take down all sites on the server. Always test with "nginx -t" via the terminal after editing Nginx configs.

Tips

  • Common files to edit: /var/www/domain.com/.env, /etc/nginx/sites-available/domain.com, /var/www/domain.com/wp-config.php.
  • The application-level file manager is scoped to /var/www/yourdomain.com/ only — useful for developers who should not see the full server filesystem.

Related guides