Feature • Last updated: July 6, 2026

FTPie CLI - Command-Line File Transfers

Drive FTPie's transfers from the command line and scripts - the same engine as the GUI, scriptable from PowerShell, batch files and CI.

Available now in FTPie Pro

The CLI shipped with the FTPie 2026.6.3 release, alongside File Encryption - and the 2026.7.2 release added a visual Command Builder. It is part of FTPie Pro (Pro or an active trial). The full command reference lives in the CLI docs.

The reason a lot of people picked WinSCP or rclone over a friendlier GUI came down to one thing: they could script it. A transfer you can express on the command line is a transfer you can put in a deploy step, a scheduled job, or a CI pipeline.

The FTPie CLI gives you that without giving up the app. It runs the same transfer engine as the GUI, against the same connections you have already set up - so a path that works when you click it works when you script it. One tool, two front ends: the window when you want it, the command line when you need it.

Windows PowerShell
# the CLI loads the same accounts as the app - note each one's id PS> ftpie-cli accounts ID NAME TYPE 1000 Local PC Local PC 3 prod-server SFTP 9034 dropbox Dropbox # push a build to the server as the last step of a release PS> ftpie-cli upload .\build prod-server:3:/releases/latest -r Done. 128 file(s), 0 failed, 84 MB. # pull a file back to your PC - branch on the exit code in scripts PS> ftpie-cli download prod-server:3:/reports/june.csv .\reports\ Done. 1 file(s), 0 failed, 12 KB.
The CLI runs the same engine and saved connections as the app. Run ftpie-cli --help for the full reference.

New: build commands visually

A command line is only useful once you know the syntax - so since 2026.7.2, you don't have to. Open CLI → Command Builder from the main menu, pick a command from a dropdown, and its arguments appear as normal form fields with hints. Storage paths come from FTPie's item picker: browse to the file or folder and the correct reference is filled in for you - no account ids, no typing. A live preview shows the exact command as you build it; Copy it into a script, or Run in terminal to try it immediately. Because the builder reads the real CLI, it always matches what ftpie-cli accepts.

The CLI Command Builder dialog in FTPie with a command dropdown, argument fields, an item picker button and a live command preview
Main menu → CLI → Command Builder: assemble a command, copy it, or run it in a terminal.

Copy a reference from the app

You don't have to memorize account ids or type long paths. Right-click any file or folder in FTPie and choose Other → Copy CLI Reference - it copies a ready-to-paste name:id:/path reference, or a rename-proof native-id reference for clouds like Google Drive. Paste it straight after upload, download, copy or any other command.

The Copy CLI Reference window in FTPie, offering a Copy ID reference (recommended) and a Copy path reference for the selected file
Right-click a file → Other → Copy CLI Reference, then paste straight into your command.

What you can automate

  • Twelve verbs - list, info, search, size, new-folder, delete, copy, move, upload, download, accounts and status (with Unix aliases ls, cp, mv, rm, mkdir)
  • Target any saved account by name and id - prod-server:3:/reports - or right-click a file in the app and Copy CLI Reference to paste a ready-made path or native-id reference (prod-server:3:id:<nativeId>)
  • Wire transfers into deploys - push a build artifact to a server as the last step of a release
  • Run it headless in CI or on a schedule, with --json output and exit codes you can branch on

Built for scripts

The CLI returns meaningful, documented exit codes - 0 success, 3 account not found, 4 path not found, 5 transfer failed, 6 cancelled, 30 Pro license required - so a script can branch on exactly what happened instead of parsing text. An unknown account name exits non-zero and suggests the closest match rather than failing silently, --json gives you structured output to pipe into other tools, and a first Ctrl+C cancels the current transfer cleanly. That is the kind of behaviour that makes a command safe to drop into a pipeline. The full syntax and flags live in the CLI documentation.

GUI and CLI in one tool

Most tools force the choice: a polished GUI or a scriptable command line. FTPie gives you both over one connection model, one engine, one license. Set a connection up once in the app; use it from the window, from a scheduled transfer, or from a script - whichever fits the task. It is the same reason power users reached for WinSCP and rclone, without the all-command-line tradeoff.

Common questions

Which protocols and clouds does the CLI cover?

The same backends as the app - FTP, FTPS, SFTP, WebDAV, NAS and the supported clouds (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, pCloud, MEGA, Koofr, OpenDrive).

Do I have to learn the syntax?

No - the Command Builder (main menu → CLI → Command Builder) assembles any command for you: pick a command, fill friendly fields, use the item picker for storage paths, and copy the result or run it in a terminal.

Can I script it from PowerShell?

Yes - PowerShell, batch files, or any tool that can invoke a command and read an exit code. Add --json for machine-readable output.

Does it work headless / in CI?

Yes. It is designed for non-interactive use with predictable exit codes for branching, and a first Ctrl+C cancels cleanly (exit code 6).

Is it Pro-only?

The CLI is part of FTPie Pro and is available now. It runs on Pro or an active trial; the Free plan is asked to upgrade. See the plan comparison.

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