How to Use FTP - ShareX Tutorial

Overview

ShareX supports uploading files directly to FTP servers, allowing you to host your screenshots on your own web server. This gives you full control over your files and is ideal for teams with existing hosting infrastructure.

Setting Up FTP in ShareX

Prerequisites

You need:

• An FTP server address (e.g., ftp.example.com)
• FTP username and password
• The server directory path where files should be stored
• The public URL that corresponds to that directory

Configuration Steps

1. Open ShareX
2. Go to Destinations > File uploaders > FTP
3. Fill in the FTP details:
   • Host: Your FTP server address (e.g., ftp.example.com)
   • Port: 21 (default) or 22 for SFTP
   • Username: Your FTP username
   • Password: Your FTP password
   • Remote directory: e.g., /public_html/screenshots/
   • URL path: e.g., https://example.com/screenshots/
4. Click Test to verify the connection

Secure FTP Options

• FTP with TLS/SSL (FTPS): Enable this for encrypted transfers
• SFTP: Use port 22 for SSH-based transfers (requires SFTP support on your server)

Using FTP Uploads

1. Set FTP as your default file uploader in Destinations > File uploader
2. Take a screenshot or select a file to upload
3. ShareX uploads the file to your FTP server
4. The public URL is copied to your clipboard

File Naming

Configure how uploaded files are named in Task Settings > File naming:

• Use patterns like %y-%mo-%d_%h-%mi-%s for timestamp-based names
• Include random characters to prevent overwriting
• Organize by date folders with %y/%mo/%d/

Common FTP Issues

Connection refused: Verify the host, port, and that your firewall allows FTP connections.

Authentication failed: Double-check username and password. Try connecting with a dedicated FTP client first.

URL path mismatch: Ensure the URL path correctly maps to your remote directory. The URL should be the public address where files become accessible.

Passive mode: Enable passive mode if you are behind a firewall or NAT.