FTP scheduler and folder sync: automatic uploads, mirrors and backups

Most file-transfer work repeats: the same site published after every change, the same export pushed every night, the same logs collected every morning. FTPShell Client Professional and Enterprise turn those into scheduled tasks and folder synchronizations that run without you, over FTP, FTPS and SFTP, with a preview before anything is deleted and a log of everything that moved.

Schedule any transfer

Right-click a file or folder and choose Schedule as task: upload, zip and upload, download, download and unzip, a manual transfer by path, or the whole transfer queue (Schedule start time). Pick a date and time and, optionally, repeat every N seconds, minutes, hours, days or weeks. Recurring tasks reschedule from the previous scheduled time, not the actual start, so a 02:00 job stays at 02:00. Tasks that fell due while the PC was off run as soon as FTPShell is running again, earliest first across all saved sites. Zip-and-upload tasks zip at run time, so the archive is always fresh.

See what will run

Each session has a Task Queue tab listing next run time, frequency, action, source and destination. Run now tests a task immediately; Remove selected and Clear all prune the list; the status bar shows the next task time and a sound plays when a task starts. Tasks are saved with their favorite site and survive restarts.

Runs with the window closed

The botsched.exe helper is installed to start at Windows logon. When a task is due it launches FTPShell minimized; FTPShell opens the saved site in a tab if needed, runs the task, and closes the sessions and itself once nothing is due within 30 seconds. For machines where nobody is logged on, run the job from Windows Task Scheduler with the ftpshellc console instead (Enterprise).

Keep a local folder and a server in step

Tools > Compare/Synchronize compares the folder open on your PC with the folder open on the server, by size or by date. By size catches incomplete uploads even when clocks differ; by date shows which side is newest. Results appear live, one row per item, with a plain-language verdict (local only, remote only, remote newer by 2d 3h, remote smaller by 256 KB) and a colour per direction; Hide identical cuts thousands of rows to the ones that matter.

Upload sync pushes local changes to the server: upload local-only items (or skip names matching patterns) and keep, delete, or delete all remote-only items except names matching patterns such as .htaccess and logs. Download sync is the mirror image, pulling the server down to a local copy. Both end in a preview checklist where every planned delete and transfer has a checkbox and a live count; Run performs the checked deletes first, then the checked transfers. Pattern lists, the comparison type and the display options are saved with the site, so a repeat sync takes a few clicks. For any file that exists on both sides, View Differences shows exactly what changed and lets you merge it.

Backups to an FTP or SFTP server

For a nightly backup, schedule zip-and-upload on the folders you care about, or a download sync of a server folder to a local copy. In the Enterprise edition, FTPShell Script adds backuprun and syncrun with include and exclude patterns, comparison by size, date, CRC, MD5 or SHA-1 with verified variants, timestamped archive names with formatfilename, OpenPGP encryption and an email report when the job finishes or fails. See the timestamped backup example.

Questions people ask

Can FTPShell upload a folder to my server automatically every night?

Yes, with Professional or Enterprise. Schedule the folder as an upload task repeating every 1 day at the time you want; it keeps its slot even if a run starts late.

Does the sync work in both directions?

You choose the direction per run: upload sync to push local changes to the server, or download sync to mirror the server locally. Each run shows a preview checklist before it transfers or deletes anything.

Will the sync delete files on my server?

Only if you choose that option and leave the item ticked in the preview. The default keeps remote-only files, and pattern lists protect files such as .htaccess and logs from deletion.

Does scheduling work over SFTP and FTPS?

Yes. Scheduled tasks and Compare/Synchronize work on FTP, FTPS and SFTP sessions alike.

Does the scheduler run when I am logged off?

The logon helper needs a logged-on user. For unattended servers, run the job from Windows Task Scheduler with ftpshellc and a script (Enterprise), which returns an exit code the scheduler can act on.

Which edition do I need?

Professional for scheduled tasks and Compare/Synchronize; Enterprise for scripted sync and backup with verification, PGP and email. Both are in the 30-day trial. See the editions.

Can I schedule an automatic FTP download, or an automated FTP download every hour?

Yes, with Professional or Enterprise. Select the remote file or folder, choose Schedule as task, pick the first run time and repeat every 1 hour. The download runs whether or not FTPShell is open, through the logon helper, and a run that fell due while the PC was off happens as soon as FTPShell starts again. For downloads of only the files that are new, use a scheduled download sync, or a script in Enterprise.

FTP-sync and FTP backup software: can I back up SQL dumps to FTP and restore them by download, and is it the best FTP sync software for the job?

Point a scheduled zip-and-upload task at the folder where your database writes its dumps and it zips and uploads them every night; a scheduled download or download sync brings them back for a restore. In Enterprise, FTPShell Script's backuprun compares by checksum, names the archive by date with formatfilename and e-mails a report. Whether it is the best FTP sync software depends on what else you need; for FTP, FTPS and SFTP targets with a preview before deletes it is built for exactly this.

Is there free FTP backup software in the Personal edition?

Manual backups, yes: Zip and upload and ordinary uploads are in the free Personal edition. Scheduled, recurring backups are a Professional feature, and scripted backups with verification and e-mail reports are Enterprise; both are included in the 30-day trial.