Help Centre › Building Processes
This article describes the RPA FTP functionality to connect to a remote server.
For a full list of available functions, please read FTP functions.
Description
The Connect function establishes a connection to a remote FTP, SFTP, or FTPS server. The connection is stored by name and can be reused across multiple steps in the process.
Setting it up
To use the Connect function, follow these instructions:
{{popups:rpas/add:action=ftp-connect}}
Once on a process map:
- Navigate to the process where you would like to add the Connect function
- Click on the green button’s drop-down (right side of the green button labelled “Process”)
- On the menu that appears, click on the “+ Activity” item
- From here you can select the FTP Connect option
- Click "Add" once you are done
Input parameters
| Parameter | Required | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | Text | - | A name to identify this connection for use in other FTP steps |
| Protocol | No | Select | sftp | The protocol to use: sftp, ftp, or ftps |
| Host | Yes | Text | - | The hostname or IP address of the remote server |
| Port | No | Text | - | The port number (defaults to 22 for SFTP, 21 for FTP/FTPS) |
| Username | Yes | Text | - | The username for authentication |
| Key Filename | No | Text | - | Path to the SSH private key file (SFTP only) |
Output variables
This action does not produce output variables.
Errors
| Error | Description |
|---|---|
| Connection failed | Could not connect to the remote server (check host, port, and network) |
| Authentication failed | The username, password, or key was rejected by the server |
Tips
- Use SFTP for encrypted, secure file transfers
- Store credentials in the Vault instead of hardcoding them in the process