How to fix FTP connection errors in Hostinger

Fix FTP connection errors in Hostinger: solve 530 login incorrect with the right credentials and fix timeouts in your FTP client settings.

Updated 2 days ago

Fix FTP connection errors in Hostinger by checking four common causes: a 530 login incorrect error from wrong FTP credentials, a timeout from your connection or FTP client settings, a certificate warning in your FTP client, and an unknown server error from the hostname you entered.

530 login incorrect

A 530 error while connecting to FTP usually indicates incorrect login credentials. Double-check that you’re entering the correct FTP details:

  • If you have more than one hosting plan, ensure that the hostname matches the IP address of the hosting plan where your website is hosted.

  • Confirm that the username corresponds to the website you’re trying to connect to:

    • For the main domain, it typically follows a format like u12345678.

    • For additional websites, the format will be u12345678.domain.tld.

    • For additional FTP accounts, it’s u12345678.user or u12345678.domain.tld.user.

  • Make sure you’re entering the correct FTP password, not the SSH password, and that there are no spaces before or after the password.

If you’ve confirmed the credentials are correct, try resetting your FTP password and reconnecting.

If the issue persists after changing the password, the hostname should be changed from the IP to the server name. The server name can be found in the Plan Details section of Hostinger dashboard. This should help resolve the issue.

Hostinger plan details with Server Name highlighted in Server Details panel

20 seconds or connection timed out error

This error often points to a problem with the internet connection from your provider. Try the following steps:

  1. Reboot your router and any other network devices.

  2. Increase the connection timeout in your FTP client. In FileZilla, go to Edit → Settings:
    FileZilla Edit menu with Settings option highlighted

  3. In the options menu, set the timeout interval to 9999:
    FTP connection settings with timeout field set to 20 seconds highlighted in the Settings window

  4. Use the FTP IP from the FTP Accounts section of Hostinger dashboard as the host instead of a hostname such as ftp.domain.tld. Then check that the IP in FileZilla’s message log matches the FTP IP.

If the timeout error persists after these steps, contact your internet service provider for further assistance.

Unknown certificate or remote certificate not trusted message in FileZilla

FileZilla can show an Unknown certificate message the first time it connects to your Hostinger server. Select Always trust this certificate in future sessions, then click OK. To connect without the certificate prompt, set Encryption to Only use plain FTP in FileZilla’s Site Manager. For the full settings, follow how to connect to your hosting using FTP in Hostinger.

Unknown server or unknown host error when connecting to FTP

Use the FTP IP from the FTP Accounts section of Hostinger dashboard as the host. A hostname such as ftp.domain.tld works only when your domain has a DNS record pointing that hostname to your hosting server.

Once the error is fixed, connect to your hosting using FTP again with your updated details.