List of FTP commands

Below is a list of FTP commands that may be sent to an FTP server, including all commands that are standardized in RFC 959 by the IETF. All commands below are RFC 959 based unless stated otherwise. Note that most command-line FTP clients present their own set of commands to users. For example, GET is the common user command to download a file instead of the raw command RETR.

Command	RFC	Description
ABOR		Abort an active file transfer.
ACCT		Account information.
ADAT	RFC 2228	Authentication/Security Data
ALLO		Allocate sufficient disk space to receive a file.
APPE		Append.
AUTH	RFC 2228	Authentication/Security Mechanism
CCC	RFC 2228	Clear Command Channel
CDUP		Change to Parent Directory.
CONF	RFC 2228	Confidentiality Protection Command
CWD		Change working directory.
DELE		Delete file.
ENC	RFC 2228	Privacy Protected Channel
EPRT	RFC 2428	Specifies an extended address and port to which the server should connect.
EPSV	RFC 2428	Enter extended passive mode.
FEAT	RFC 2389	Get the feature list implemented by the server.
HELP		Returns usage documentation on a command if specified, else a general help document is returned.
LANG	RFC 2640	Language Negotiation
LIST		Returns information of a file or directory if specified, else information of the current working directory is returned.
LPRT	RFC 1639	Specifies a long address and port to which the server should connect.
LPSV	RFC 1639	Enter long passive mode.
MDTM	RFC 3659	Return the last-modified time of a specified file.
MIC	RFC 2228	Integrity Protected Command
MKD		Make directory.
MLSD	RFC 3659	Lists the contents of a directory if a directory is named.
MLST	RFC 3659	Provides data about exactly the object named on its command line, and no others.
MODE		Sets the transfer mode (Stream, Block, or Compressed).
NLST		Returns a list of file names in a specified directory.
NOOP		No operation (dummy packet; used mostly on keepalives).
OPTS	RFC 2389	Select options for a feature.
PASS		Authentication password.
PASV		Enter passive mode.
PBSZ	RFC 2228	Protection Buffer Size
PORT		Specifies an address and port to which the server should connect.
PROT	RFC 2228	Data Channel Protection Level.
PWD		Print working directory. Returns the current directory of the host.
QUIT		Disconnect.
REIN		Re initializes the connection.
REST		Restart transfer from the specified point.
RETR		Retrieve a copy of the file
RMD		Remove a directory.
RNFR		Rename from.
RNTO		Rename to.
SITE		Sends site specific commands to remote server.
SIZE	RFC 3659	Return the size of a file.
SMNT		Mount file structure.
STAT		Returns the current status.
STOR		Accept the data and to store the data as a file at the server site
STOU		Store file uniquely.
STRU		Set file transfer structure.
SYST		Return system type.
TYPE		Sets the transfer mode (ASCII/Binary).
USER		Authentication username.
XCUP	&1000775 RFC 775	Change to the parent of the current working directory
XMKD	&1000775 RFC 775	Make a directory
XPWD	&1000775 RFC 775	Print the current working directory
XRCP	&1000743 RFC 743
XRMD	&1000775 RFC 775	Remove the directory
XRSQ	&1000743 RFC 743
XSEM	&1000737 RFC 737	Send, mail if cannot
XSEN	&1000737 RFC 737	Send to terminal

See also

• List of FTP server return codes - in response to commands from a client, the FTP server returns reply codes

External links

• RFC 697 - CWD Command of FTP
• RFC 959 - File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
• RFC 1639 - FTP Operation Over Big Address Records (FOOBAR)
• RFC 2228 - FTP Security Extensions
• RFC 2389 - Feature negotiation mechanism for the File Transfer Protocol
• RFC 2428 - FTP Extensions for IPv6 and NATs
• RFC 2640 - Internationalization of the File Transfer Protocol
• RFC 3659 - Extensions to FTP
• RFC 5797 - FTP Command and Extension Registry
• IANA FTP Commands and Extensions registry - The official registry of FTP Commands and Extensions
• Raw FTP command list