How to transfer files with PSFTP from PuTTY

Secure file transfer over SFTP prevents passwords and file contents from crossing the network in clear text, and supports workflows where graphical clients are undesirable or unavailable. PSFTP, included with PuTTY on Windows 11, provides an interactive SFTP shell for uploading and downloading files from remote systems.

PSFTP connects to the server’s SFTP subsystem over an SSH transport, using either password authentication or public key authentication. The first connection to a host stores a server host key in the PuTTY cache, which is later used to detect unexpected server identity changes.

An SSH server with SFTP enabled must be reachable on the correct port (commonly 22), and network firewalls may block inbound access. Host key prompts and permission errors often indicate a wrong destination, a changed server key, or missing account rights, so verify fingerprints out-of-band before trusting a new key. Uploading to the wrong remote directory can overwrite files or expose data, so confirm both local and remote working directories before transferring.

Steps to transfer files with PSFTP from PuTTY:

Open Windows Terminal or PowerShell.
Change to the folder containing psftp.exe if the PuTTY directory is not in PATH.
```
PS C:\Users\user> cd "C:\Program Files\PuTTY"
```
When psftp is already in PATH, the directory change is unnecessary.
Connect to the server using PSFTP.
```
PS C:\Program Files\PuTTY> .\psftp.exe -P 22 user@example.com
psftp: connecting to example.com:22
The server's host key is not cached in the registry.
The server's ssh-ed25519 key fingerprint is:
ssh-ed25519 255 SHA256:3VgYv0o7lP7O2pQmJQ9uQmS3+2o9oQwS3y0XQ9m4dJc
Store key in cache? (y/n) y
user@example.com's password:
Remote working directory is /home/user
psftp>
```
PSFTP supports common PuTTY options such as -P for port, -i for a .ppk private key, and -load to reuse a saved PuTTY session (proxy, username, key, and port).

Storing an unverified host key can enable man-in-the-middle interception, so confirm the fingerprint with a trusted source before answering y.

Related: How to update or delete PuTTY host key fingerprints on Windows

Change the remote working directory to the target folder.

psftp> cd uploads
Remote directory is now /home/user/uploads

Confirm the remote directory contents.
```
psftp> ls
incoming
report.csv
server.log
```
Run help at the psftp> prompt for a full list of supported commands.
Confirm the local working directory used for transfers.
```
psftp> lpwd
Current local directory is C:\Users\user
```
Change the local working directory to the folder holding the files.
```
psftp> lcd "C:\Users\user\Downloads"
Local directory is now C:\Users\user\Downloads
```
Quotes are required for local paths containing spaces.
Upload a local file to the remote directory.
```
psftp> put report.csv
local: report.csv => remote: report.csv
```
Use mput *.csv to upload multiple files from the current local directory.

Uploading to an existing filename overwrites the remote file on many servers.
Verify the uploaded file exists on the remote side.
```
psftp> ls report.csv
report.csv
```
Download a remote file to the local directory.
```
psftp> get server.log
remote: server.log => local: server.log
```
Use mget *.log to download multiple files matching a pattern.
Exit the PSFTP session.
```
psftp> exit
Disconnected.
```

Verify the downloaded file exists in the local folder.

PS C:\Users\user\Downloads> Get-ChildItem -Name server.log
server.log

Author: Mohd Shakir Zakaria
Mohd Shakir Zakaria is a cloud architect with deep roots in software development and open-source advocacy. Certified in AWS, Red Hat, VMware, ITIL, and Linux, he specializes in designing and managing robust cloud and on-premises infrastructures.