We have received several requests for information regarding how to edit live online files using FileZilla. You will need to configure FileZilla to edit live files. Here is how you do it.
First, we do not really recommend editing files on a live web site. In my humble opinion, you should always download files to your PC or a local server and work on them there. If you are just working with static HTML files, you should view the web pages and verify that they look correct before copying them to the server. However, sometimes you may need to do a quick fix or update information on a live site. FileZilla does have an editing feature, but it doesn’t work unless you configure it and select an editor on your PC.
If you are using Windows, Notepad is a good choice for a simple editor. Never use Word or a word processor to edit web site files. You must use a plain text editor or a web site code editor. Word processors embed hidden formatting codes that may screw up your web site.
- Under the Edit Menu, select Settings.
- Scroll down the tree on the left and select File Editing.
- Select the Use custom editor radio button and the Always use default editor button.
- Use the Browse button to locate a copy of the Notepad.exe file on your computer. There are frequently several copies of this file on a Windows PC. You will normally find one at C:\WINDOWS\notepad.exe.
- Click OK.
To edit a live file on your web site, connect to the site using FileZilla. Right click on the file that you want to edit and select View/Edit. The file should now open up in Notepad. When you are finished editing the file, select Save in Notepad. You should see a message asking you if your want to upload the file back to the server. Select Yes.
Always make sure to check the web page that you just edited to make sure that the changes did what you wanted them to do. if you do not see the changes, you may need to clear the browser’s cache. To do that, hold down the Alt key and click the refresh button on the browser’s tool bar.