How to Configure an SFTP Client for Minecraft

SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) lets you safely manage your Minecraft server files — including uploading plugins, editing configs, and managing backups. Here’s how to set it up with Beacon Hosting.

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Step 1: Choose an SFTP Client

You’ll need an SFTP client installed. Popular options:

• FileZilla (Windows/macOS/Linux)
• WinSCP (Windows)
• Cyberduck (macOS/Windows)

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Step 2: Get Your SFTP Credentials

1. Log in at www.beaconhosting.org/auth/login
2. Open Your Servers and select your Minecraft server
3. Go to Settings and open the SFTP Access card

You’ll see:

• Server Address — full address in the form sftp://host:port
• Username — your account email and server ID, shown as email@example.com:server-id
• Password — a dedicated SFTP token, not your panel login password

If you do not have a token yet, click Generate SFTP token on that page. Copy it immediately — it is only shown once. If you lose it, click Roll new token to create a new one.

[INFO] SFTP is not available on free trial servers. Use Files in the browser during a trial instead.

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Step 3: Set Up the Client

Open your SFTP client and create a new connection using the details from Settings → SFTP Access:

• Protocol: SFTP
• Host: the hostname from Server Address (the part after sftp:// and before the port)
• Port: the port shown in Server Address (commonly 2022, but use the value shown for your server)
• Username: copy the full value from the Username field
• Password: your SFTP token

Save the connection profile for quick access next time.

Alternative: you can also connect with an SSH public key. Add keys under Account → SSH Keys in the panel, then use key-based auth in your SFTP client if password sign-in is disabled on your host.

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Step 4: Connect and Manage Files

Once connected, you’ll see your server’s file structure.

You can now:

• Upload plugins and JARs
• Edit server.properties, plugin configs, and other files
• Download logs
• Manage mods, worlds, and permissions

Some config changes take effect after a server restart from Console. SFTP may also be temporarily unavailable while a server is transferring nodes or creating/restoring a backup.