Frequently Asked Questions

File Transfer Protocol and Secure File Transfer Protocol (FTP/SFTP) provide a standard way to transfer files between computers, regardless of the operating system on each computer (Windows, Macintosh, UNIX, etc.). These programs are most commonly used to transfer files from your computer to a web server. SFTP is more secure than FTP because it ensures that the entire transfer session is encrypted, meaning no passwords are sent in the clear and are therefore much less vulnerable to interception.

Yes! Our sFTP Client app has full support for connecting to local networks. As this is a native packaged app and not a web-based app, you can connect to any internal or external FTP / SFTP networks.

sFTP Client supports FTP, FTPS, SFTP, WebDAV and SSH, plus cloud services including Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Dropbox, Google Cloud Storage, Google Drive, Microsoft Azure Blob Storage and Microsoft OneDrive.

FTP is available on the free Basic plan. FTPS, SFTP, WebDAV, SSH Terminal and related tools need Pro or above. Sync and personal workspaces need Cloud or Team. Cloud services and team sharing features are available on Cloud / Team plans — see Plans & Pricing for the full comparison.

You need to enter the hostname (something like "home.example.com" or "ftp.example.net") of the server you want to transfer files from or to, and the username (something like "smith97" or "billsbakery") and password for your account on that server. If this is an account you've purchased from an Internet service provider, that provider should be able to tell you what to enter.

For SFTP / SSH you can also use a private key instead of (or as well as) a password. Cloud connections use their own fields (for example access tokens, account keys or containers) — see our cloud services documentation.

Simply click on the red cross on the right hand side of the tab in which you are connected; this will cease activity within that connection.

Select the files / folders you wish to change, right click (left click if you have your mouse set up for a left-handed user) over any of the selected items, then choose File Permissions from the menu. Use the check boxes or change the numeric value to update permissions. Where the server allows it, you can also edit Owner / Group (UID / GID).

Select the individual file / folder, right click (left click if you have your mouse set up for a left-handed user), and choose Rename from the menu. Alternatively you can press the F2 key on your keyboard.

Select all the files / folders you wish to delete, right click (left click if you have your mouse set up for a left-handed user) over any of the selected items, then choose Delete from the menu. Confirm in the dialog, then wait while the items are deleted.

WARNING: If you confirm delete, this permanently removes the selected files and folders. We are not responsible for mistakes — always keep a backup elsewhere before deleting.

Sign in to your Broadbent account in the app and enable syncing. Connections, snippets and related data are encrypted on your device before they leave it. Sync is included with Cloud and Team subscriptions, and is available as an add-on for Pro Lifetime licenses.

If sync looks stuck, open Preferences and use Force Sync to run a full re-sync and see pull / push results. More detail: Synced data.

If two-factor authentication is enabled on your account, after email and password you can verify with an authenticator app, an email code, or a backup code ("Try another way" on desktop). Passkeys can be registered in your account Security settings on the website / portal.

In sFTP Client v3, signing in to your account automatically activates any licenses assigned to you. You can also open your account menu and choose Manage License Keys to activate a key manually.

See Activate a License for step-by-step help. You must be online to activate.

Sign in and open Manage Licenses on the website, or Manage License Keys in the app, to see your license status and devices.

Sign in and open Manage Licenses, or choose Manage License Keys from your account menu in the app. If you still cannot find it, email us at help@broadbent.email.