SFTP

What is SFTP?

SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) is a protocol for transferring files securely over an SSH connection, by default on port 22. Because all traffic runs through the SSH tunnel, the login credentials, commands, and the file contents themselves are encrypted — unlike classic FTP, which sends everything in cleartext. SFTP is not the same as FTPS (plain FTP wrapped in TLS on port 21); the two are not interchangeable. You can authenticate with either a username/password or an SSH key pair.

Why does SFTP matter?

In ecommerce, SFTP is still a widespread and reliable way to exchange large batch files between systems that do not share an API. A supplier might drop a CSV of stock and prices on an SFTP server every night, and your system fetches and imports it. The encryption means customer data, orders, and price lists are not exposed on the open internet in transit, which matters both for reliability and for meeting data-protection requirements.

Common use cases

• Scheduled product feeds. Automated daily exchange of product feeds with an ERP, PIM, or marketplace system.
• Inventory and orders to a 3PL. Pushing order files to a fulfilment warehouse and pulling stock levels back.
• Supplier dropshipping. Fetching catalog and inventory files from a wholesaler at fixed times.
• Key-based access. Setting up SSH keys instead of passwords for unattended, automated transfers.

Shopify perspective

Shopify does not give you SFTP or FTP access to the theme or the underlying files — as a hosted SaaS platform, you work through the theme editor, the GitHub integration, the Shopify CLI, or the Admin API instead. SFTP therefore usually shows up in third-party integrations: an ERP connector, a feed tool, or a 3PL that exchanges CSV files with an external SFTP server. Keep SMTP and SFTP separate — one sends email, the other moves files — and always use SSH keys rather than shared passwords for automated flows.