Why Use Files.com with SFTP?

Your Files.com site is a full-featured SFTP server, allowing inbound SFTP connections from your users, partners, applications, and systems. We also provide the ability for your Files.com site to connect (outbound) to other SFTP servers.

Using this native Files.com integration, customers can seamlessly integrate Files.com platform capabilities with any other SFTP server. Files.com adds powerful access and permission controls over file interactions with other SFTP servers and allows you to take advantage of all the Files.com platform capabilities.

Workflow Enhancements and Integration Features

Enhance, secure, and expand your business processes by connecting other SFTP server content with Files.com workflow features such as Inboxes, Share Links, GPG, Automations, more file transfer protocol options (FTP, AS2, WebDAV, etc.), authentication and authorization (Single-Sign-On, Active Directory, LDAP, SAML, etc.), online co-editing, iPaaS integrations, and a rich selection of notification options (webhooks, Slack, Amazon SNS.)

Connection Methods and Access Options

SFTP servers can be connected as a Remote Server Mount, making your SFTP server content available in real time, or connected as a Remote Server Sync, allowing you to push, pull, or synchronize files between any SFTP server and other Files.com storage locations. Files.com acts as your SFTP client.

Integrating Files.com with other SFTP servers allows your users to access SFTP server content through Files.com, using a web browser, FTP(S), AS2, WebDAV, the Files.com Desktop App, the Files.com Mobile App, or the Files.com Command Line (CLI) App.

Files.com can integrate with SFTP servers, providing secure encrypted data transmission between the two platforms. We also provide options to allow less secure integration, using older SFTP ciphers, to allow connectivity to legacy SFTP servers.

Integration Options

Files.com operates three types of SFTP integrations.

Files.com itself can operate as an inbound SFTP server, allowing you and your users to connect to your Files.com account via SFTP. This allows you to use SFTP to access any portion of your Files.com account, even folders that are syncing to other providers, such as Dropbox, Box, Amazon S3, etc.

Secondly, you can Mount an external SFTP site directly into Files.com as a folder. Files.com acts as an SFTP Client in this context, making that SFTP site available via the Files.com web interface, API, SDKs, and even other inbound SFTP connections.

Third, you can configure a scheduled Sync, where Files.com will synchronize its copy of a folder or folders on a one-way or two-way basis with the external SFTP server.

Real-World SFTP Use Case: Transferring Videos to and from a Cloud Media Server

When it comes to managing large volumes of video content (especially across distributed teams, external partners, and cloud platforms) file transfer workflows need to be fast, secure, and reliable. One of the most practical use cases?

Transferring videos to and from a cloud media server using SFTP.

Let’s say your organization produces or distributes video content, whether it's for live broadcasts, OTT platforms, or post-production pipelines, you need to:

• Ingest raw video files from freelance contributors and remote field teams
• Enable post-production access for editing teams without wasting time on downloads and uploads
• Distribute finished content to a cloud-based media server or publishing platform

All of this needs to happen securely, at scale, and without breaking the workflow of editors or partners.

Here’s how Files.com simplifies and secures the entire process.

Receiving Raw Footage from Contributors (Inbound SFTP)

Your Files.com account acts as an SFTP server, making it easy for external users to upload video content directly into designated project folders.

• Freelancers connect via SFTP using tools like FileZilla, WinSCP, or the command line.
• Each contributor gets a unique login with folder-level access permissions to keep content organized and secure.
• Uploaded videos land in an /incoming/ directory and can trigger automated workflows, such as alerts to the production team or checksum validation for file integrity.

This ensures a secure, organized entry point for every file without the use of messy email attachments or risky public links.

Post-Production Access and Collaboration

Once the raw footage is on Files.com, internal teams need quick access for editing and review.

• Editors and producers mount Files.com like a drive (using SSHFS, Mountain Duck, or their preferred tools) so they can work directly from their native editing environments.
• Alternatively, automated syncs can push footage from Files.com to your internal file servers, NAS devices, or cloud buckets.

This gives post-production teams near-instant access to large videos without waiting for files to trickle through a slow upload/download process.

Delivering Finished Files to the Cloud (Outbound SFTP)

Once the final cut is ready, Files.com can automatically push videos to your cloud media server for streaming, archiving, or distribution.

• Using Outbound SFTP, your Files.com account connects to external servers like sftp.cdnprovider.com.
• Finished files placed in a /final/exports/ folder are automatically transferred on a schedule or upon upload.
• You configure once, and Files.com handles the rest—safely, reliably, and with full audit logs.

This step closes the loop, seamlessly delivering production-ready content to wherever it needs to go next.

By using Files.com as both an SFTP server (for inbound transfers) and an SFTP client (for outbound transfers), media companies can eliminate the pain points of manual file handoffs, reduce transfer errors, and maintain full visibility over every file moving through the pipeline.

Pricing & Support

Files.com's integration for SFTP is a core integration of Files.com, maintained by the Files.com team, and is fully supported as part of your Files.com subscription. Any Files.com customer on the Power plan and up can use outbound SFTP as part of your existing subscription.

Documentation and Training

• Training Video on Remote Server Mount/Sync
• SFTP Outbound Setup Instructions
• Setting up SSH Keypairs for Password-less Authentication
• Legacy Ciphers Information