Upload website files to the domain’s configured document root, not simply the first folder shown after login. A correctly transferred index file will only become the homepage when the web server and application use that filename and location.
IN THIS ARTICLE
What you need before you begin
Back up any existing index file and identify the correct root, such as a cPanel domain’s displayed path or SiteWorx’s domain html folder. Confirm whether the site is static or managed by an application that generates its own entry point.
01 Upload an index page or website files with FileZilla
- Connect securely in FileZilla and select the prepared website folder on the local side.
- Navigate the remote side to the exact document root for the intended domain. Review existing index.php, index.html and application files before replacing any of them.
- Upload the required files using the upload action or a deliberate drag from local to remote. Review overwrite prompts individually when important live files already exist.
- Wait for the transfer queue to finish and inspect the Failed transfers list. Resolve incomplete uploads before testing the release.
- Open the site over HTTPS and verify the intended page, assets and links. Clear relevant application or CDN caches only after confirming the server files are correct.
02 Example: map an uploaded static page to its URL
Assume the hosting panel shows /home/ACCOUNT/public_html as the document root for example.com. Uploading your local company.html into that remote directory should make it available at https://example.com/company.html, subject to the site's routing rules.
| Item | Illustrative location |
|---|---|
| Local prepared file | website/company.html |
| Remote destination | /home/ACCOUNT/public_html/company.html |
| Public request | https://example.com/company.html |
Use the document root actually shown for your domain. Uploading the file one directory above it or into another domain's root produces a different result. For an application-managed site, use its publishing process instead of assuming a standalone HTML file is the right deployment.
Confirm the expected result
Check the remote filenames, sizes and homepage behaviour. A remaining old index file or application rewrite can cause a different page to load even after a successful transfer.
How do I recover when a FileZilla upload breaks the website?
If the site breaks, restore the original files from your backup. Do not upload database credentials or full backup archives into public access. For a dynamic application, follow its deployment procedure rather than replacing index.php with an unrelated sample page.
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