Per-User Folders

Per-user folder settings control what a user sees as the root of the file system and where their session starts when they connect via SFTP.

Each user account has two relevant settings: FTP/SFTP Client Root Folder and FTP/SFTP Client Default Home Folder.

Client Root Folder

The FTP/SFTP Client Root Folder defines a virtual root folder for the user, which they see as the top of the folder tree during an SFTP session. Use this setting when you want to prevent the user from navigating to parent folders above a particular folder.

This setting only takes effect on SFTP connections when the site-wide SFTP Client Root Folders setting is enabled. If that setting is not enabled, the Client Root Folder is ignored during SFTP sessions.

The same path also defines the user's view across every other protocol when the user's File System Layout is set to User Root; in that case, the path is presented in the user's account as their User Root rather than as their FTP/SFTP Client Root Folder.

Client Default Home Folder

The FTP/SFTP Client Default Home Folder sets the folder the SFTP session starts in. Use this setting when users always interact with a specific subfolder, so the SFTP client does not need to navigate there after connecting.

If the Client Root Folder is set, the Client Default Home Folder must be inside it.

Scope of These Settings

Neither setting grants access to a user. Users must still hold folder permissions on anything they need to read or write.

For users whose File System Layout is not User Root, these settings only affect what the user sees when connecting via FTP or SFTP. Through the web interface, the Desktop or Mobile App, the CLI application, and the API, the user still sees the folders allowed by their layout and folder permissions.

For users whose File System Layout is User Root, the Client Root Folder path also defines the user's view across every other protocol. The Client Default Home Folder remains FTP- and SFTP-specific.