# FTP Accounts

FTP accounts are used to connect RapidWeaver Elements to your Elements Hosting account, allowing you to publish your website directly from the app without needing any additional software. 

If you prefer, or if you need to give someone else access to your published site files, you can also use FTP accounts with a third-party FTP client (we recommend [Cyberduck](https://cyberduck.io/) or [Transmit](https://panic.com/transmit/)) to upload, update, or manage your website files manually.

Elements Hosting supports both traditional FTP and secure SFTP connections, and these FTP accounts can be created directly from the [Elements Hosting Reactor Panel](https://reactor.elementshosting.io/login).

{% hint style="info" %}
For publishing and ongoing updates from RapidWeaver Elements, **we recommend using SFTP**. SFTP protects your data while it is being transferred and is designed to be more secure and stable than standard FTP, helping ensure your site publishes smoothly and safely.
{% endhint %}

{% content-ref url="ftp-accounts/how-to-create-an-ftp-account." %}
[how-to-create-an-ftp-account.](https://docs.realmacsoftware.com/elements-docs/hosting/elements-hosting-reactor-panel/websites/manage-websites/ftp-accounts/how-to-create-an-ftp-account.)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="ftp-accounts/how-to-publish-your-elements-site-using-ftp" %}
[how-to-publish-your-elements-site-using-ftp](https://docs.realmacsoftware.com/elements-docs/hosting/elements-hosting-reactor-panel/websites/manage-websites/ftp-accounts/how-to-publish-your-elements-site-using-ftp)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="ftp-accounts/how-to-publish-your-elements-site-using-sftp" %}
[how-to-publish-your-elements-site-using-sftp](https://docs.realmacsoftware.com/elements-docs/hosting/elements-hosting-reactor-panel/websites/manage-websites/ftp-accounts/how-to-publish-your-elements-site-using-sftp)
{% endcontent-ref %}