Why Use Files.com with FTP?

Your Files.com site is a full-featured FTP server, allowing inbound FTP and FTPS connections from your users, partners, applications, and systems. We also provide the ability for your Files.com site to connect (outbound) to other FTP servers.

Using this native Files.com integration, customers can seamlessly integrate Files.com platform capabilities with any other FTP server. Files.com adds powerful access and permission controls over file interactions with other FTP servers and allows you to take advantage of all of the Files.com platform capabilities.

Enhance, secure, and expand your business processes by connecting other FTP server content with Files.com workflow features such as Inboxes, Share Links, GPG, Automations, more file transfer protocol options (SFTP, AS2, WebDAV, etc.), authentication and authorization (Single-Sign-On, Active Directory, LDAP, SAML, etc.), online co-editing, iPaaS integrations, and a rich selection of notification options (webhooks, Slack, Amazon SNS.)

FTP servers can be connected as a Remote Server Mount, making your FTP server content available in real time, or connected as a Remote Server Sync, allowing you to push, pull, or synchronize files between any FTP server and other Files.com storage locations. Files.com acts as your FTP client.

Integrating Files.com with other FTP servers allows your users to access FTP server content through Files.com, using a web browser, SFTP, FTP(S), AS2, WebDAV, the Files.com Desktop App, the Files.com Mobile App, or the Files.com Command Line (CLI) App.

Files.com can integrate with FTP servers using FTPS (both Explicit and Implicit), providing secure encrypted data transmission between the two platforms. We also provide options to allow less secure integration, using plain FTP or older FTPS ciphers, to allow connectivity to legacy FTP servers.

Real-World FTP Use Case: Retail Distributors Upload Product Catalogs via FTP

In today's digital retail landscape, not every file transfer is handled through cutting-edge APIs or sleek, cloud-native systems. Many vendors and distributors still rely on tried-and-true FTP workflows, especially when working with older ERP and inventory management platforms.

At Files.com, we help retailers and their partners modernize these traditional processes without costly system overhauls or disrupting existing business workflows.

For example: Retail distributors uploading CSV product catalogs via FTP from ERP systems.

The Challenge: Legacy Systems and Automated FTP Exports

Retailers often work with a broad network of distributors, each using different systems and levels of technical sophistication. Many of these partners still rely on:

• Legacy ERP or inventory software that can only deliver data via FTP
• Automated nightly exports of CSV files that contain up-to-date product information (SKUs, descriptions, pricing, stock levels)
• Scripted FTP uploads built into their existing infrastructure

These systems may not support HTTPS APIs or modern SFTP—but they still get the job done through FTP.

Integration Options

Files.com operates three types of FTP integrations.

Files.com itself can operate as an inbound FTP server, allowing you and your users to connect to your Files.com account via FTP. This allows you to use FTP to access any portion of your Files.com account, even folders that are syncing to other providers, such as Dropbox, Box, Amazon S3, etc.

Secondly, you can Mount an external FTP site directly into Files.com as a folder. Files.com acts as an FTP Client in this context, making that FTP site available via the Files.com web interface, API, SDKs, and even other inbound FTP connections.

Third, you can configure a scheduled Sync, where Files.com will synchronize its copy of a folder or folders on a one-way or two-way basis with the external FTP server.

Pricing & Support

Files.com's integration for FTP, and FTPS, is a core integration of Files.com, maintained by the Files.com team, and is fully supported as part of your Files.com subscription. Any Files.com customer on the Power plan and up can work with FTP and FTPS as part of your existing subscription.

Documentation and Training

• Training Video on Remote Server Mount/Sync
• Documentation for setting up a connection to a FTP server
• Documentation for FTP and FTPS configuration options
• Legacy Ciphers Information