UPLOAD YOUR SITE

Upload your site: guides by host

The site you own is one flat zip: index.html at the top, one CSS file, your photos. These are the screens of each host; your account shows the same steps with your own file names.

your host, by SFTP

your host's FTP / SFTP page (host, user, password, port) + FileZilla

  1. 1. Get the connection details

    Sign in where you pay for hosting and find FTP accounts or SFTP: copy the Host, Username and Port (22 for SFTP, 21 for FTP), set a password if asked. Install FileZilla (free).
    your host, by SFTP · FTP / SFTP accountsFTP / SFTP accountsHost: ftp.yourbusiness.com or an IPUsername: (shown here)Port: 22 (SFTP) or 21 (FTP)Schematic of your host, by SFTP's screen.
  2. 2. Connect and find the web folder

    In FileZilla type Host, Username, Password, Port and click Quickconnect. On the right side open the web folder: public_html, www, htdocs or httpdocs (the one with the old site's index file).
    your host, by SFTP · FileZilla › Remote siteFileZilla › Remote site/the web folder (public_html, www, htdocs or httpdocs)UploadExtractMoveCompressDownloadSettings📁public_html📁mail📁logsthe folder with the old index fileSchematic of your host, by SFTP's file manager — the buttons may sit elsewhere; the names are the usual ones.
  3. 3. Back up first

    Right-click the web folder → Download: the whole old site lands on your computer. Keep it.
    your host, by SFTP · SFTP client › the web folder (public_html, www, htdocs or httpdocs)SFTP client › the web folder (public_html, www, htdocs or httpdocs)/the web folder (public_html, www, htdocs or httpdocs)UploadExtractMoveCompressDownloadSettings📁old-site📁photos📄index.html📄site.css📄about.htmlCompress, then Download the zipSchematic of your host, by SFTP's file manager — the buttons may sit elsewhere; the names are the usual ones.
  4. 4. Move the old site out of the web folder

    One level above the web folder, right-click → Create directory → old-site. Open the web folder, select all (hidden files on: Server → Force showing hidden files), drag them into old-site.
    your host, by SFTP · SFTP client › the web folder (public_html, www, htdocs or httpdocs)SFTP client › the web folder (public_html, www, htdocs or httpdocs)/the web folder (public_html, www, htdocs or httpdocs)UploadExtractMoveCompressDownloadSettings📁wp-admin📁wp-content📄.htaccess📄index.php📄wp-config.phpMove everything to the folder above it/old-siteSchematic of your host, by SFTP's file manager — the buttons may sit elsewhere; the names are the usual ones.
  5. 5. Upload the zip and extract it

    Unzip yourbusiness-remo.zip on your computer. Drag everything inside it (index.html, site.css, the pages, the photo folders, .htaccess) into the web folder. index.html at its root.
    your host, by SFTP · SFTP client › the web folder (public_html, www, htdocs or httpdocs)SFTP client › the web folder (public_html, www, htdocs or httpdocs)/the web folder (public_html, www, htdocs or httpdocs)UploadExtractMoveCompressDownloadSettings🗜yourbusiness-remo.zip📁old-siteUpload yourbusiness-remo.zip, then Extract hereSchematic of your host, by SFTP's file manager — the buttons may sit elsewhere; the names are the usual ones.
  6. 6. Make sure index.html is the front page

    Look in the web folder (public_html, www, htdocs or httpdocs) for an old index.php, index.htm, default.html or default.php. If one is still there, move it into old-site: a server shows those before index.html. the web folder (public_html, www, htdocs or httpdocs)/index.html must sit directly in the web folder (public_html, www, htdocs or httpdocs), not inside a folder.
    your host, by SFTP · SFTP client › the web folder (public_html, www, htdocs or httpdocs)SFTP client › the web folder (public_html, www, htdocs or httpdocs)/the web folder (public_html, www, htdocs or httpdocs)UploadExtractMoveCompressDownloadSettings📄index.html📄site.css📄about.html📄contact.html📁photosindex.html at the root, no index.php leftSchematic of your host, by SFTP's file manager — the buttons may sit elsewhere; the names are the usual ones.
  7. 7. Open your site

    Open https://yourbusiness.com in a private window and click a few menu links. If the old site still shows, press Ctrl+F5; if it still does, an old index.php or index.htm is left in the web folder (public_html, www, htdocs or httpdocs) (previous step).
    Open your siteA private browser window🔒 https://yourbusiness.com/Your new home pageindex.html, served from your own hostingpadlock + the new site = doneThis is what you are aiming for: your domain, the padlock, the new site.
  8. 8. Keep the padlock (HTTPS)

    Your host's panel issues the certificate (AutoSSL, Let's Encrypt): turn it on there; then Force HTTPS or the .htaccess rule. If the site opens as http:// without the padlock, ask me in the chat for the three-line .htaccess redirect, or turn on your host's Force HTTPS switch.
    your host, by SFTP · HTTPSHTTPShttps://yourbusiness.com 🔒Certificate: valid(http:// should forward to https://)Schematic of your host, by SFTP's screen.

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