Anonymous FTP allows users to connect to your FTP server without a personal username or password. This can be useful for sharing public files, but it also means anyone on the internet can connect to that FTP location, so it should only be enabled if you specifically need open public access.
Security warning: Enabling anonymous FTP, especially with upload permissions, is a common target for abuse (malware hosting, spam, unauthorized file storage). Only enable this if necessary, grant the minimum permissions required (read-only where possible), and disable it again once it’s no longer needed.
How to enable anonymous FTP
- Log in to your cPanel account.
- Navigate to Files → FTP Accounts.
- Look for the Anonymous FTP section/link (availability depends on your hosting plan and cPanel version — contact support if you don’t see this option).
- Click to configure the anonymous FTP settings.
- Choose the folder you want to expose and the permissions (read-only is recommended unless uploads are specifically required).
- Save your changes.
Connecting as an anonymous user
Anonymous users connect using:
- Username:
anonymous - Password: any value (many FTP clients ask for an email address here by convention, e.g.
anonymous@yourdomain.com— replaceyourdomain.comwith your actual domain, though the value isn’t actually verified)
