SFTP Deployment

Deploy over SFTP with SENDR for encrypted, scriptable, zero-downtime server deployments.

What is SFTP deployment?

SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) tunnels file transfers through an SSH session. Unlike plain FTP, the connection is encrypted and authenticated with SSH keys, and most servers support symlinks and atomic renames.

Why SFTP is better than FTP for deploys

Encrypted in transit: credentials and files are never sent in clear text.
Key-based auth: no passwords to leak or rotate.
Atomic swaps: SENDR can upload to a release folder and flip a symlink, so the live site never serves a half-written directory.

How SENDR handles SFTP

SENDR uploads your build to a timestamped release directory, then atomically swaps a symlink (current -> release) so traffic instantly sees the new build. Failed releases stay warm and one-click rollback re-points the symlink back.

Configure an SFTP target

sendr init
# Dashboard -> Add target:
#   name: Production SFTP
#   type: sftp
#   host: ssh.yourhost.com
#   deployPath: /var/www/html

Deploy over SFTP

sendr deploy --wait

Rollbacks

Because SFTP supports symlinks, SENDR rollback is instant: it re-points current at the previous release. No files are re-uploaded and there is no downtime.