PuTTY Basics for Website Work

What is PuTTY?

PuTTY is a Windows SSH client. In plain English, it is a program that lets you open a text-based connection to your server. Once connected, you can type commands and get answers directly from the machine hosting your website.

For website work, PuTTY helps with things like:

• checking where your website files actually live
• moving between folders
• listing files and directories
• making backup copies before edits
• opening files with vi
• confirming whether a page, image, or folder exists

Why PuTTY matters if you already have WinSCP

WinSCP is excellent for visual file transfer. PuTTY is excellent for direct control. There are times when you want to know the exact folder path, run a quick command, or verify something without guessing. PuTTY lets you do that.

WinSCP helps you see files. PuTTY helps you understand the server.

What is SSH?

SSH stands for Secure Shell. It is a secure way to connect to a server remotely. PuTTY is commonly used to make an SSH connection from a Windows computer.

If someone gives you server login details for PuTTY, they will usually give you:

Field	What it means	Typical example
Host name	The server address	example.com or an IP address
Port	The SSH port	22
User name	Your server account name	youruser
Password	Your login password	provided by host or admin

How to connect with PuTTY

1. Open PuTTY.
2. In the Host Name field, enter your domain or server IP.
3. Make sure the port is usually 22.
4. Make sure the connection type is SSH.
5. Click Open.
6. If prompted, accept the server key the first time.
7. Enter your username.
8. Enter your password.

What a successful login feels like

After logging in, you will usually see a command prompt. It might look like one of these:

[youruser@example ~]$
youruser@server:~$
$

That prompt means the server is ready for commands.

The first five commands every website owner should know

Command	Meaning	Why it matters
pwd	Print working directory	Shows where you are right now
ls	List files	Shows what is in the current folder
cd foldername	Change directory	Moves into a folder
cd ..	Go up one folder	Backs out to the parent directory
mkdir newfolder	Make directory	Creates a new folder

1. Use pwd to find out where you are

One of the most helpful commands is:

pwd

It prints your current directory path. For example:

/home/youruser/public_html/en/tools

This is incredibly useful because many mistakes happen when people think they are in one folder but are actually in another.

Good habit

Before editing or copying files, run pwd. It keeps you grounded.

2. Use ls to see what is here

To list the files and folders in the current directory, run:

ls

You might see output like:

index.html
site.css
site.js
images
en
ja

For more detail, use:

ls -l

That gives a fuller list with permissions, dates, and sizes.

3. Use cd to move around

To move into a folder:

cd public_html

Then:

cd en

Then:

cd tools

To go back up one level:

cd ..

Example workflow

pwd
ls
cd public_html
ls
cd en
ls
cd tools
pwd

This sequence teaches you more about your server than randomly clicking around.

4. Use mkdir to create a folder

If a directory does not exist yet, create it with:

mkdir tools

Example:

cd /home/youruser/public_html/en
mkdir tools

That creates:

/home/youruser/public_html/en/tools

5. Use cp to make a backup copy

Before changing a live file, it is smart to make a backup:

cp index.html index.html.bak

That creates a copy named index.html.bak.

For a specific page:

cp winscp-basics.html winscp-basics.html.bak

This is one of the most practical commands on the whole page.

Helpful extra commands

Command	Meaning	Practical use
mv oldname newname	Move or rename	Rename files or move them into another folder
rm filename	Remove file	Delete a file carefully
clear	Clear terminal screen	Start fresh visually
vi filename.html	Open file in vi	Edit a page directly

Real website example: checking where your files live

Suppose you just logged in and want to find the English tools section of your site.

pwd
ls
cd public_html
ls
cd en
ls
cd tools
pwd
ls

If everything is where you expect it to be, the final pwd might show:

/home/youruser/public_html/en/tools

And the final ls might show:

index.html
putty-basics.html
winscp-basics.html
vi-basics.html

That is a huge win. It means you are not guessing anymore.

Real website example: create a new folder for history pages

If your English history folder does not exist yet:

cd /home/youruser/public_html/en
mkdir history
cd history
pwd

Now you know exactly where future history pages will go.

Real website example: back up a page before editing

Let us say you want to edit about.html:

cd /home/youruser/public_html/en
cp about.html about.html.bak
ls

The file list should now show both versions.

Real website example: open a page in vi

Once you are in the correct folder:

vi putty-basics.html

Then you can make a small edit directly on the server. If vi feels new, read the full vi Basics guide next.

How PuTTY fits into your website workflow

Good beginner habits in PuTTY

• Run pwd often.
• Run ls before editing or copying.
• Use cp to back up important files first.
• Move carefully, one folder at a time.
• Do not pretend you know where you are—check.

Common beginner mistakes

1. Logging in and typing random commands immediately

Slow down. Start with pwd and ls. Always orient yourself first.

2. Forgetting where the live website folder is

Many hosting accounts use public_html, but not all. Use the server to tell you, not your memory alone.

3. Editing or deleting files without a backup

A quick cp file file.bak can save a lot of pain.

4. Confusing local and remote work

PuTTY connects you to the server. It does not show files on your own computer. For local vs remote side-by-side work, use WinSCP.

5. Fear of the command line

The command line feels serious because it is direct. That is also why it is useful. The solution is not avoidance. The solution is learning the first few safe commands well.

What PuTTY is especially good for

• verifying server paths
• checking whether folders and files exist
• making backups before edits
• opening pages in vi
• creating folders in a controlled way

What PuTTY is not best for

• visual file drag-and-drop
• large image management
• design work
• building a whole site from scratch if you are uncomfortable with terminals

For those tasks, use WinSCP and your local editor. PuTTY is part of the toolkit, not the whole workflow.

Simple practical session example

login to server

pwd
ls
cd public_html
ls
cd en
ls
cd tools
pwd
ls
cp putty-basics.html putty-basics.html.bak
vi putty-basics.html

This sequence is calm, realistic, and strong. It shows control without drama.

Mini cheat sheet

pwd                 show current folder
ls                  list files and folders
ls -l               detailed file list
cd foldername       move into a folder
cd ..               go up one level
mkdir newfolder     create a new folder
cp file file.bak    make a backup copy
vi filename.html    open a file in vi
clear               clear the terminal screen