Knowledge Base

How do I back up files not in my FTP/SFTP user's home directory?

Updated on August 29, 2026

Overview

By the end of this article, you will be able to complete a CodeGuard website activation even when your website files do not appear in the file list during setup. The article explains what a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) home directory is and why files stored outside it are not listed, then covers the prerequisites you need, the steps to enter a specific absolute path using the Prefer to enter specific path? option and the Select root directory button, how to verify the correct files were selected, and common troubleshooting situations.

What is an FTP/SFTP home directory?

A File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) home directory is the folder on your server that a user account is placed in automatically when it connects. CodeGuard lists the folders and files it can see from that starting location during website activation. If your website files are stored somewhere else on the server — outside that starting folder — CodeGuard cannot display them in the standard file list, and you must supply the location yourself as an absolute path.

An absolute path is the complete location of a folder starting from the top of the server file system, rather than a location relative to where the connection started.

Prerequisites

CodeGuard account access with permission to add a website
Working File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) credentials for the server that hosts the website
The absolute path of the folder that contains your website files, obtained from your hosting provider or server administrator

Steps to back up files outside the home directory

Step 1 — Start the website activation and check the file list

Begin adding your website in CodeGuard and enter your File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) connection details. When the file selection screen appears, review the folders shown. If your website files are not listed, the files are stored outside the connecting user's home directory.

Figure 1: CodeGuard website activation file selection screen with no website files listed

Step 2 — Select the specific path option

On the file selection screen, select the Prefer to enter specific path? button. Selecting this option replaces the browsable file list with a field where you can type the location of your website files directly.

Step 3 — Enter the absolute path to your website files

Type the full absolute path of the folder that contains your website files into the path field. Enter the path exactly as your hosting provider or server administrator supplied it, including capitalization, and do not include a file name — the value must point to a folder.

Figure 2: CodeGuard specific path field with the Select root directory button below it

Step 4 — Confirm the folder and finish the activation

Select Select root directory to confirm the folder you entered, then continue through the remaining screens of the website addition process until activation is complete.

How to verify the backup was set up correctly

After completing the website addition process, open the website in CodeGuard and review the file list for the site. Your website files and folders should now be listed under the path you entered. If the expected files appear and the website shows as added, CodeGuard is backing up the correct location.

Troubleshooting

Issue: The website files are still not listed after activation

Cause: The absolute path entered points to a different folder than the one holding the website files.

Solution: Confirm the exact absolute path with your hosting provider or server administrator, then repeat the website addition using the corrected path.

Issue: The path is rejected or the folder cannot be confirmed

Cause: The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) user account does not have permission to read the folder at that location.

Solution: Ask your hosting provider or server administrator to grant the connecting user read access to the folder, then enter the path again.

Tips and best practices

Request the absolute path from your hosting provider before you begin the activation, so you do not have to restart the process.
Enter a folder path only — a path ending in a file name will not resolve to a backup root.
Where possible, ask your hosting provider whether the connecting account's home directory can be set to the website folder, so future activations list the files automatically.