Accès & Onboarding Noindex # Why do we need FTP/SSH access to your server? 4 min de lecture To intervene directly on your site — deploy an update, fix a bug, modify configuration files — we need access to your server. This access typically goes through **FTP/SFTP** or **SSH**. Here’s what it means in practice, why it’s necessary, and how to provide it to us. ## FTP, SFTP, SSH: what’s the difference? - **FTP (File Transfer Protocol)**: the historical protocol for transferring files to a server. Simple, but unencrypted — data is transmitted in plain text. To be avoided as much as possible. - **SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol)**: the secure version of FTP. Files are transferred via an encrypted connection. This is what we use by default. - **SSH (Secure Shell)**: direct access to the server's command line. Allows executing scripts, managing dependencies, restarting services, or deploying code. Essential for Laravel projects. ## Why do we need it ### Deploy updates Any modification of your site’s code — bug fixes, new features, updating dependencies — must be deployed on the server. Without access, we rely on you for each deployment, which significantly slows down the work. ### Intervene directly on files Some fixes require direct access to the server files: modifying a configuration file, clearing a server cache, correcting a misconfigured file permission, or analyzing error logs in real-time. ### Diagnose server issues When your site displays a 500 error, a blank screen, or unexpected behavior, the server logs contain the explanation. These files are only accessible via SSH or SFTP — not through the CMS or back office. ### Manage dependencies and the environment Laravel projects require command line operations: installing dependencies via Composer, running database migrations, managing scheduled tasks (cron jobs), or configuring environment variables. All of this is done via SSH. ### Configure automated deployments For projects where we set up a continuous deployment pipeline (CI/CD), SSH access is necessary to configure the connection between your server and your Git repository. ## What we cannot do without this access - Deploy code directly — each update requires your intervention. - Consult error logs to diagnose an incident. - Modify server configuration files. - Execute Laravel commands (migrations, cache, queues...). - Check file permissions or the state of the environment. ## Is it risky to give us this access? A well-configured FTP/SFTP or SSH access does not pose any particular risk, provided you follow a few best practices: - **Create a dedicated user** for Mermio, with rights limited to the necessary directories — rather than giving us the credentials of the main administrator account. - **Use SSH key authentication** (rather than password): more secure and more convenient. We can provide you with our public key to add to your server. - **Revoke access at the end of the mission** if you do not wish to maintain permanent access. ## How to give us access depending on your host ### Infomaniak 1. Log in to [manager.infomaniak.com](https://manager.infomaniak.com). 2. Go to **Web Hosting** → select your hosting. 3. In the **FTP Users** tab, create a new user with a dedicated password and rights to your site’s directory. 4. Send us the credentials via a secure channel (we can offer you a Bitwarden Send link or equivalent). ### Other host The procedure varies depending on the host. Contact us and we will guide you based on your configuration. --- [Contact us](http://www.mermio.ch/en/contact) ## Related Articles [ Accès & Onboarding ### What information do we need to start your web project? Before starting a web project, Mermio needs a certain amount of information to frame the project, avoid unnecessary back-and-forth, and deliver a result aligned with your expectations. This guide summarizes everything we need from the start. ](http://www.mermio.ch/en/base-de-connaissances/what-information-do-we-need-to-start-your-web-project) [ Accès & Onboarding ### How to clear my browser cache? After an update to your site, your browser may continue to display the old version. Here’s why, and how to clear the cache depending on your browser. ](http://www.mermio.ch/en/base-de-connaissances/how-to-clear-my-browser-cache)