How to handle files or folders with special characters in File Manager at Hostinger

If you encounter errors when attempting to delete, copy, move, or compress a folder or file inside the Hostinger File Manager, the item’s filename may contain special characters. These symbols have specific technical meanings in web environments and URLs. When included in a directory title, they can interfere with how system scripts parse file paths, causing common operations to fail.

Pre-requisites

Applies to Web Hosting, Cloud Hosting, and Agency Hosting (using hPanel File Manager).
Does NOT apply to Hostinger Website Builder or Hostinger Horizons.

Identify reserved and unsafe characters

Reserved characters alter how the system interprets a web path. Review your target folder or file name for the following problematic symbols:

? — Signals the start of a query string in a URL (e.g., page.php?id=1).
# — Marks a section anchor in a URL (e.g., page.html#section).
& — Separates distinct URL parameters (e.g., ?name=john&lang=en).
% — Used natively for encoding special characters in URLs.
+ — Interpreted explicitly as a space parameter in certain URL contexts.
Spaces — Break standard web file path parsing rules.
Other symbols: @, !, *, (, ), =, <, >.

Naming best practices

To keep your files accessible, always restrict your naming conventions to safe characters:

Letters: a-z, A-Z
Numbers: 0-9
Hyphens: –
Underscores: _
Dots: . (only when defining file extensions, e.g., image.png)

Fix the issue using alternative methods

If the hPanel File Manager cannot process the file due to character path interference, you can bypass the restriction by managing the file via FTP or SSH. These protocols handle complex string titles more reliably.

Option A – Modify the file via FTP (recommended)

This approach is recommended for beginners and hosting plans with limited terminal capabilities.

Connect to your hosting account using an external FTP client. For detailed configuration steps, check How to connect via FTP.
Navigate directly to the directory containing the problematic folder or file.
Right-click the item and select Rename to remove the special character, or select Delete to purge it entirely.
Return to your hPanel File Manager to verify the issue is resolved.

Option B – Modify the file via SSH (advanced)

Before using this method, ensure that your SSH Access toggle is explicitly enabled inside your hPanel dashboard (Websites → Manage → Advanced → SSH Access).

To delete an item via terminal: Access your server and follow the procedures outlined in How to delete files/folders via SSH.
To copy or duplicate an item via terminal: Use the specific command arguments detailed in How to copy files/folders via SSH.

How to prevent this in the future

When creating folders or uploading files, always use simple, clean names, for example:

my-website-images
backup_2024
project_files

Bad examples:

my website?
backup#1
files&more

Avoiding special characters ensures your files work correctly across File Manager, FTP clients, and your website.