Upload Data to FlowWorks Via FTP

Before you begin setting up FTP, you may need to ensure that your CSV data file is in an acceptable format. See, Supported data formats for CSV files for details.

If you are setting up FTP for the first time, you will need to establish an FTP account with FlowWorks. Please contact Support to request a a username and password. These credentials will be used in your FTP client to determine the destination of your data files.

To submit your request for FTP credentials, please contact FlowWorks Support (login required). Please include your client number/name to expedite the process. Once you have your FTP username and password, you can proceed to the next step outlined in this article.

There are many different FTP Clients around, and they all serve the same purpose. In this article, we discuss how you can use FileZilla - an open-source FTP client that we recommend.

1. Go to https://filezilla-project.org/
2. Click the appropriate icon to Download FileZilla Client.
   This will initiate the download. Once complete, the downloaded file can be found in your PC's Downloads folder, or wherever your web browser is configured to save files.
3. Open the downloaded file to begin installation.
4. Follow the installer's instructions and prompts to successfully install the software.
5. Launch FileZilla.

With installation complete, you can now proceed to sending data files to FlowWorks via FTP.

A common method for sending data files to FlowWorks is via manual FTP, using FileZilla as the FTP client. This step describes how you can use FileZilla to manually send data by FTP.

1. Open FileZilla. You will arrive at the following screen.

2. For Host, type ftp.flowworks.com

3. Enter the Username provided by FlowWorks (case and space sensitive).

4. Enter the Password provided by FlowWorks (case sensitive).

5. Click Quickconnect.
   FileZilla will connect to the FTP host server. You can view connection progress and status in the first box that spans across the top of the application (see image below). You are ready to continue when you see a "connected" and "ready" message in this box.
   If you receive messages like "Not Authorized" or "Critical Error" or "Cound not connect to server," this could indicate a problem. Check your login entries for a typo and try reconnecting. If you are still unsuccessful, please contact FlowWorks Support.

6. Upon successfully connecting to the FTP server, locate the file you wish to submit. In the Local Site box, use the navigation tree to locate the desired folder/file.
   Files contained in the folders under Local Sites will appear as a list in the box directly below.

7. Drag and drop your desired files into the folder found in the Remote Site box.
   The file upload will begin. A progress bar will appear at the bottom of the window. You can also view upload status in the first box that spans across the top of the window.

Depending on the size of your file(s), this process may take several moments to complete. The status messages seen in the progress bar and the "status" box will indicate when a file has been successfully transferred to FlowWorks.

8. Verify the file transfer was successful.
   At the bottom of the FileZilla window are three tabs - click Successful Transfers. your most recent upload will appear in this list once the file has been successfully transferred to FlowWorks.

9. Exit FileZilla. Click File -> Exit.

This completes the process for manually FTP-ing files to FlowWorks, using FileZilla. Our Support and Technical staff will review your files. If their format is accepted, the data will be uploaded to your Sites. Should there be any issues with the data format, our Support team will contact you.

You can setup automatic FTP to eliminate the need to repeat the same manual FTP upload process each time you wish to send data to FlowWorks.

To configure automatic data transferring, it is required that a script be written - this is used to configure the FTP automation process, in conjunction with your FTP software. Most typically, this script is written by the Client's IT department. In other cases, our FlowWorks technical staff can provide a template of this particular script; however, since each of our Client's data and file setup is unique, the templated script FlowWorks can provide is only a starting point and some setup (on the side of the Client) may be required. Clients can request FlowWorks' assistance in configuring the script for an additional fee.

If you are interested in setting up automatic FTP and need you require assistance, please contact FlowWorks Support.