FTP

Detailed explanation

FTP lets you connect to your hosting account with a client — FileZilla, Cyberduck, or one built into your CMS or hosting panel — and move files, such as theme files, media, and backups, to and from the server's directory structure, including the home directory. It is still the most common way to bulk-upload large files or make direct edits to server-side code outside of a CMS admin panel.

Plain FTP transmits credentials and file contents unencrypted, which is a real security risk on shared or public networks; most hosts now default to SFTP (FTP over SSH) or FTPS (FTP over TLS), which encrypt the connection while keeping a similar workflow. When choosing a client or host, using one of the encrypted variants rather than legacy plain FTP is the safer default.

For “what is FTP” or “how do I upload files to my server” searches, this entry is a starting point. See Home Directory for where those files typically land, and CMS for the software many FTP uploads are used to install or update.