SFTP Command Line: Essential CLI Commands (+ Cheat Sheet)

Moving files through SFTP doesn't require command-line expertise, but knowing CLI commands gives you more control and automation options. While GUI clients like FileZilla or Cyberduck offer user-friendly interfaces, the command line provides powerful flexibility for file transfers.

What is the SFTP Command Line interface?

The SFTP command line interface (CLI) is a method to perform SFTP commands using a text-based terminal like PowerShell. First, you'll need to connect to the SFTP server. You can do this in the application with the sftp command as below. 

sftp username@hostname 

You'll then be asked for the password. Enter the password when prompted to connect. After successfully connecting, you'll see a prompt like this:

sftp>

This prompt is your gateway to all SFTP commands. There are several SFTP commands but we'll focus on the most common and important ones and how they function.

What are the most important SFTP commands?

The most essential SFTP commands fall into three main categories:

Navigation Commands

pwd                   # See current remote directory
cd                    # Change the current remote directory
lpwd                  # See current local directory
lcd                   # Change the current local directory

Basic Transfer Commands

get                   # Download a file
put                   # Upload a file
mget                  # Download multiple files from a directory
mput                  # Upload multiple files to a directory

Directory Management

mkdir                 # Create remote directory
rmdir                 # Remove remote directory and contents

How do you navigate SFTP effectively?

Think of SFTP as having the option to navigate two file explorers at the same time: one for the local device and another for remote directories. You'll need to specify which one to perform the action on, and then what you want to do. 

Here are some examples of some common navigation commands:  

Pro tip: Use pwd and lpwd frequently to avoid uploading files to the wrong location.

You can navigate the contents of both local and remote directories entirely using CLI commands. But CLI commands can be used for more than navigation, such as configuring SFTP workflows. 

What are common SFTP workflows?

Here are typical SFTP workflows you'll encounter and how to complete them with the CLI:

Uploading Project Files

lcd /local/project
put dist/* /remote/www/

This command uploads project files from a local directory to a remote server.

• lcd /local/project changes the local working directory to specify where the files will be uploaded from
• put dist/* selects all files and subdirectories in the dist folder
• /remote/www/ indicates the destination directory on the remote server

Backing Up Remote Data

lcd /backup
get -r /remote/data/* .

This command creates a backup of remote data to a local directory.

• lcd /backup sets the local destination directory for the downloaded files
• get -r recursively downloads entire directory structures
• /remote/data/* specifies all files and subdirectories from the remote data location
• . represents the current local directory as the download destination

Managing Configurations

get /etc/config.ini
# Edit locally
put config.ini /etc/config.ini

This workflow gets a remote configuration file for local editing.

• get /etc/config.ini downloads the configuration file from the remote server
• put config.ini /etc/config.ini uploads the modified configuration back to the original location

How do you handle permissions?

SFTP provides several commands for managing file permissions. To change permissions, start by entering the command for what characteristic you want to modify, followed by the updated permissions. Permissions can be modified either in symbolic mode or absolute mode. 

Symbolic mode uses letters to represent permissions. r is for read, w for write, x for execute, and then who it applies to, where u is the currently connected user, g is the group the user belongs to, and o is for others. 

For example, u+w, o+r means the current user can write, while others can read only. 

Absolute mode uses a three-digit number to represent permissions, where each digit represents a set of permissions and for whom they apply to, where 4 is for read, 2 is for write, and 1 is for execute. Each of those numbers are added up to specificy the permissions, where the first digit is the user, second is for the group, and third is for others.

For example, 764 would break down to

• 7 - User has full permissions to read (4) + write (2) + execute (1). 4+2+1=7
• 6 - Group can write and execute, read (4) + write (2). 4+2=6
• 4 - Others have read-only permission, read (4). 

Here are some examples of how you can use some common commands to change permissions:

Pro tips for SFTP usage

The SFTP command line is a powerful tool, and there are a few pro tips that can make navigating and modifying simple. 

Use Progress Display

progress    # Toggle progress meter for large transfers

Resume Interrupted Transfers

reget large-file.zip    # Resume download of large-file.zip
reput huge-backup.tar   # Resume upload of huge-backup.tar 

How do you access local shell commands from SFTP?

The ! command lets you temporarily escape to your local shell without disconnecting from SFTP:

!ls     # Shows local directory contents

!pwd    # Shows local working directory

After running your local shell command, you'll automatically return to the SFTP prompt. No need to reconnect. 

How do you exit your SFTP prompt?

Three commands will cleanly close your SFTP session:

exit    # Most common and widely supported
quit    # Works on most systems
bye     # Friendly alternative

Using any of these commands will:

• Close the SFTP connection
• End your session
• Return you to your local shell

You should always use one of these commands instead of just closing the terminal to ensure a clean disconnect from the SFTP server. 

Pro tip: For a full local shell session, just type ! by itself. You'll get your regular shell prompt. When running a local shell session with this method, type exit to return to SFTP.

Need more help?

If you forget any SFTP commands or need information, try one of these helpful commands:

help      # Show all commands
?         # Same as help
version   # Check SFTP version

For a quick reference guide to all these commands, download our SFTP Command Cheat Sheet.

The cheat sheet includes every command mentioned here plus many more advanced options for when you're ready to dive deeper into SFTP's capabilities.