FTP / SFTP Overview
Browse remote file systems via FTP, FTPS, or SFTP with drag-and-drop, permissions, AI assistant, vault export, and cloud nexus servers.
Supported Protocols
- SFTP — Connects via saved SSH hosts (recommended)
- FTP — Standard FTP
- FTPS — FTP with TLS encryption
Connecting
Four ways to connect:
- SSH hosts — Select a saved SSH host to connect via SFTP
- Saved FTP hosts — CRUD management for FTP/FTPS connections with edit, clone, delete, and export
- Nexus cloud servers — Connect to shared servers from your Infrastructure Nexus (team-synced via WebSocket)
- Quick connect — Protocol selector + host, port, user, password. Includes a "Save as host" button.
File Browser
- Grid view and list view modes (toggle via toolbar)
- Sortable columns (name, size, modified date) — sort direction persisted
- File-type icons for all common file types
- Directory tree (left sidebar) — expandable folders, toggleable visibility, resizable width
- Breadcrumb navigation — clickable path segments, dropdown for subdirectories, inline path editing
- History — Back/forward navigation buttons
- Search / filter files in the current directory
- Multi-tab — Independent connection, path, history, selection, sort, and tree state per tab
- Toggle hidden files — Show or hide dotfiles (e.g.,
.env,.htaccess) — preference persisted
File Operations
| Operation | Description |
|---|---|
| Upload | File picker button or native drag-and-drop files into the browser |
| Download | Single files, selected files in bulk, or drag files to your desktop |
| Create Folder | New directory at current path (Cmd+Shift+N) |
| Rename | Rename files or folders (F2) |
| Delete | Single or recursive bulk delete with confirmation (Delete) |
| Clipboard | Cut (Cmd+X), Copy (Cmd+C), Paste (Cmd+V) files and folders — supports move operations |
| Duplicate | Duplicate files (Cmd+D) |
| Remote Edit | Open a remote file in your local editor — VortexHQ watches for changes and auto-syncs back to the server with status notifications |
Transfer Tracking
Upload and download operations show progress with transfer tracking — name, direction, percentage, and status indicators.
File Properties & Permissions
Select a file and open the Properties Panel from the context menu or toolbar to see and edit:
- File info: type, size, path, last modified date, mode, UID, GID, owner, group
- Permissions: checkboxes for owner/group/other: read, write, execute
- Octal input (e.g.,
755) — syncs bidirectionally with checkboxes - Recursive chmod for directories ("Apply to enclosed items")
AI Assistant
The FTP module has built-in AI features:
- AI Assist — Open the AI modal from the toolbar to ask questions about file management, generate config files (
.htaccess,nginx.conf,.env), or get deployment advice - Ask AI about this file — Right-click any file and choose "Ask AI about this file" to get AI analysis of its contents, purpose, and suggestions
Context Menus
Rich context menus available by right-clicking:
- File context menu: Open, Download, Properties, Ask AI, Copy, Cut, Paste, Duplicate, Rename, Delete, Select All
- Directory tree menu: Refresh, Upload Here, New Folder, Paste, Properties
- Host cards: Connect, Edit, Clone, Delete, Export, Open SSH Terminal
- Nexus server cards: Connect, Edit, Clone, Delete
Vault Export
Export saved FTP/SFTP hosts as encrypted .vxdb files with a passphrase. Import them on another machine to restore connections securely. Feature-gated for Pro+ plans.