Edit User
- Last Updated: July 22, 2025
- 6 minute read
- WS_FTP Server
- Version 2022
- Documentation
Edit User
This page is used to view or edit a user account.
- From the top menu, select . The User page opens.
- In the list of users, select a user by clicking on the linked Username. The Edit User page opens.
- Username. This is the username used to authenticate with the server.
- Full name. Enter the full name of the user if desired.
- Email address. Enter a valid email address for this user. This email address can be referenced in notifications by using the notification variable: %emailaddress
- User type. Select a user type.
- Regular. Select this option to make this user a regular user.
- Anonymous. Select this option to designate this user as an anonymous user.
- Host administrator. Select this option to grant this user host administrator privileges. Host administrators have full permissions to all folders on the host and can manage the host through the Web Admin.
- System administrator. Select this option to grant this user system administrator privileges. System administrators have full permissions to all folders on the hosts and can manage all aspects of all hosts through the Web Admin.
- Disable login. Select this option to disable this user account. If this option is selected, this user cannot log in to the server.
- Change password. Click this button to change this user's password.
- User can change password. Select this option to allow this user to change his or her password. This option is not available on hosts that use Microsoft Windows, or Microsoft Active Directory.
- User must change password at next logon. Select this option to force the user to change his or her password the next time he logs in to the FTP server or the SSH server. This option is disabled by default. This option is available only if User can change password is enabled.
For the FTP Server:
When the user attempts to log in from the client, the FTP server returns:
560 Password expired, use 'pass oldpassword newpassword'
The user must then log in and, in the Password box, enter the old password and the new password, separated by a space: 'oldpassword newpassword'
The password is reset to the new password.
For the SSH Server:
The SSH Server issues an SSH_MSG_USERAUTH_PASSWD_CHANGEREQ packet to the client. In response to this message, the client should prompt the user for the new password.
In either case (FTP or SSH), the server ensures that the new password meets criteria for any password rules for the host. If the password is accepted, the server resets the User must change password at next logon option.
- Require user to change password every x number of days. When this option is selected, users are required to change their password at least once during the time frame specified. If a user fails to change his password during the allotted time, he cannot authenticate to the server. If this option is selected, the number of days remaining before this user must change his password is listed below this field. This option is available only if User can change password is enabled.
- SSH user key. SSH user host keys are one of the methods used by SSH listeners to authenticate users. Click Manage to add, remove, create, import, or delete SSH user keys. This option is not available to users in an Active Directory user database or a Microsoft Windows user database since they cannot authenticate using a public key.
- Require password and SSH user key. When this option is selected, users must authenticate to the SSH server using both a password and SSH user key. You cannot select this option unless a password and one or more SSH user keys are associated with this user's account. Administrators should ensure that the SSH listener associated with this host allows both password and public key methods of authentication, otherwise users who require password and SSH user key authentication will not be able to connect to the SSH server.
- Home folder. Enter or select the full path to this user's home folder, relative from the file server root.
- Lock user to home folder. Select this option to prevent this user from navigating outside their home folder.Note: This option does not apply to administrator users, even though it can be selected for those users. System and Host Administrators can always navigate outside their home folder.
- Show home folder as root. This option can be used only if Lock user to home folder is selected. If this option is selected, the user's home folder will be displayed to the user as the root of the FTP directory's path. (For instance, if the user chooses the following directory:
/Users/ThisUsersHome/OneOfMyFolders, if this option is selected, the user will only see/OneOfMyFolders.)Note: This option does not apply to administrator users, even though it can be selected for those users. System and Host Administrators can always see the full path to the user's home folder.Note: The log file will always show the full path to the user's home folder.Note: Notifications will display the full path to system and host administrators, and if Show home folder as root is selected, will not display the full path to a user.Note: To select the home folder options for all users on the host, use the iftpaddu command line options (+lock for Lock user to home folder and +root for Show home folder as root ). The iftpaddu command supports the WS_FTP Server user database, but cannot be used with external user databases.
Account Expiration
- Account creation date. The date the user account was created is indicated here.
- Account expiration option. This option is used to specify when and how a user account should expire.
- Never expire. Select this option if you do not want the user account to expire.
- Expire on the expiration date. This option expires the account on the specified date.
- Expire in set number of days after creation. This option expires the account a set number of days after the account was created.
- Expire in set number of days after last logon. This option expires the account a set number of days after the account's last logon.
- Expire account on. If you have selected Expire on the expiration date, a date field appears here. Use the calendar (
), select the date after which you want this account to expire. If you selected Expire in set number of days after creation or Expire in set number of days after last logon, enter a number of days here.
- Failed login count. The number of times a user has attempted and failed to login to this user account is displayed here.
- Reset failed login count. Click to reset the failed login count to zero. The failed login count is used to trigger Failed Login Rules.
Related Information
- Groups this user belongs to. Click this link to view all user groups to which this user belongs.
- Failed login rules applied to this user. Click this link to view all failed login rules applied to this user.
- Folder action rules applied to this user. Click this link to view all folder action rules applied to this user.
- Quota limit rules applied to this user. Click this link to view all quota limit rules applied to this user.
- Bandwidth limits applied to this user. Click this link to view all bandwidth limits applied to this user.
Duplicating a User
To create a new user with the same options selected as this user, click Duplicate. The Create User page opens with the appropriate fields filled out.