SFTP / FTP Sync

Sync your local workspace to a remote server over SFTP/SSH or FTP/FTPS — straight from VS Code. Edit files locally with the editor you already know, and have every change pushed to the server automatically on save. Download, diff, watch, and browse the remote filesystem without leaving the editor.

Maintained and updated by DRAWNCODES. Forked from the no longer maintained Natizyskunk/vscode-sftp SFTP plugin.

Features

• Upload on save — every save pushes the file to the remote server.
• Manual upload / download — files, folders, or the whole project on demand.
• Sync directories — local → remote, remote → local, or both ways.
• Diff with remote — compare a local file against its remote copy before overwriting.
• Remote Explorer — browse the remote filesystem in the sidebar.
• File watcher — auto-upload (and optionally auto-delete) on external file changes.
• Multiple profiles — keep dev / prod targets in one config and switch between them.
• Multiple contexts — map different local folders to different remote paths.
• Connection hopping — reach a target server through one or more SSH jump hosts.
• Key, password, or agent auth for SSH; plain or secure (FTPS) for FTP.

Installation

Install from the VS Code Marketplace:

1. Open the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X).
2. Search for SFTP Sync (by DRAWNCODES) and click Install.

Or from a terminal:

code --install-extension DRAWNCODES.sftp-sync-drawncodes

Or in Quick Open (Ctrl+P): ext install DRAWNCODES.sftp-sync-drawncodes.

Quick start

1. Open the local folder you want to sync.
2. Run SFTP: Config from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P). This creates .vscode/sftp.json.
3. Fill in your server details (see the reference below) and save.
4. Edit a file and save it — with "uploadOnSave": true it uploads immediately.

To pull an existing remote project down first, run SFTP: Download Project — it downloads everything under remotePath into your open folder. From then on, save to sync.

Configuration — .vscode/sftp.json

Minimal SFTP example

{
  "name": "my server",
  "host": "example.com",
  "protocol": "sftp",
  "port": 22,
  "username": "user",
  "privateKeyPath": "C:\\Users\\me\\.ssh\\id_ed25519",
  "remotePath": "/var/www/project",
  "uploadOnSave": true
}

Minimal FTP example

{
  "name": "my server",
  "host": "example.com",
  "protocol": "ftp",
  "port": 21,
  "secure": true,
  "username": "user",
  "password": "password",
  "remotePath": "/public_html/project",
  "uploadOnSave": true
}

On Windows, backslashes in paths must be escaped (C:\\Users\\me\\...). If you omit password, you'll be prompted for it on connect.

Common options

SSH authentication

Profiles

Keep several targets in one file and switch with SFTP: Set Profile.

{
  "username": "user",
  "privateKeyPath": "C:\\Users\\me\\.ssh\\id_ed25519",
  "profiles": {
    "dev": {
      "host": "dev.example.com",
      "remotePath": "/var/www/dev",
      "uploadOnSave": true
    },
    "prod": {
      "host": "prod.example.com",
      "remotePath": "/var/www/prod"
    }
  },
  "defaultProfile": "dev"
}

watcher and context are only valid at the top level, not inside a profile.

Multiple contexts

Map different local subfolders to different remote paths. Each context must be unique and name is required.

[
  {
    "name": "build",
    "context": "project/build",
    "host": "example.com",
    "username": "user",
    "remotePath": "/remote/project/build"
  },
  {
    "name": "src",
    "context": "project/src",
    "host": "example.com",
    "username": "user",
    "remotePath": "/remote/project/src"
  }
]

File watcher

Upload (and optionally delete) files when they change outside the editor — useful for build output.

{
  "watcher": {
    "files": "dist/**/*.{js,css}",
    "autoUpload": true,
    "autoDelete": false
  }
}

Connection hopping

Reach a target server through one or more SSH jump hosts. Each key path is resolved on the previous host in the chain.

{
  "name": "target",
  "remotePath": "/path/on/target",

  "host": "jumpHost",
  "username": "jumpUser",
  "privateKeyPath": "C:\\Users\\me\\.ssh\\id_ed25519",

  "hop": {
    "host": "targetHost",
    "username": "targetUser",
    "privateKeyPath": "/home/jumpUser/.ssh/id_ed25519"
  }
}

For multiple hops, make hop an array, ordered from the first jump host to the final target.

Remote Explorer

Open the SFTP view in the Activity Bar (or run View: Show SFTP) to browse the remote filesystem. Files open read-only for preview; run SFTP: Edit in Local to pull one down and edit it.

Order the view among other panels with:

{
  "remoteExplorer": {
    "order": 1
  }
}

Commands

Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) and type SFTP. Most commands are also on the file-explorer right-click menu.

• SFTP: Config — create / open sftp.json.
• SFTP: Set Profile — switch the active profile.
• Upload / Download — file, active file, folder, or project.
• Force Upload / Force Download — ignore timestamp checks.
• Sync Local → Remote / Remote → Local / Both Directions.
• Diff with Remote — compare local vs remote.
• List / List All — list remote directory contents.
• Delete (Remote), Create Folder, Create File.
• Open SSH in Terminal, Cancel All Transfers.

Debugging

1. Open Settings and set sftp.debug to true.
2. Reload the window.
3. View logs in View → Output → sftp.

License

MIT © 2026 Alexandru — DRAWNCODES. See LICENSE.