SFTP Connections

SFTP connections let you transfer files to and from remote servers over SSH. Zedoc supports both password and SSH key authentication methods.

Creating an SFTP Connection

Go to Organization Settings > Connections
Click Add Connection
Select SFTP
Fill in the server details and choose an authentication method
Click Test Connection to verify connectivity
Once the test passes, click Create Connection

Configuration

Field	Required	Description
Connection Name	Yes	A friendly name to identify this connection
Host	Yes	Server hostname or IP address (e.g. `sftp.example.com`)
Port	Yes	SSH port (defaults to `22`)
Username	Yes	The login username for the SFTP server
Authentication Method	Yes	Password or SSH Key
Path Prefix	No	A prefix prepended to all file paths (e.g. `/uploads/books/`)

Authentication Methods

Password Authentication

The simplest setup. Enter the password for your SFTP user account. The password is encrypted before storage and never displayed again after creation.

When editing a connection, leave the password field blank to keep the current password, or enter a new value to update it.

SSH Key Authentication

For key-based authentication, Zedoc generates and manages an organization-level SSH key pair. The private key is stored securely on the platform and used automatically when tasks connect to your server.

To set up SSH key authentication:

Go to Organization Settings > Connections > SSH Key tab
Click Generate SSH Key (this is a one-time operation per organization)
Copy the public key
Add it to your SFTP server’s ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file for the target user
Create an SFTP connection with SSH Key as the authentication method

You can also generate the SSH key directly from the SFTP connection form — if no key exists yet, you’ll be prompted to generate one.

Important: SSH key generation is a one-time operation. The key cannot be regenerated once created, so make sure to copy the public key when you first generate it. You can always find it again under the SSH Key tab.

Server Setup

Your SFTP server may need configuration to accept connections from Zedoc. If you don’t manage the server yourself, share the relevant instructions below with your IT team.

Password authentication server requirements

The SSH server must allow password authentication. The relevant setting in the SSH configuration is:

PasswordAuthentication yes

SSH key authentication server requirements

The Zedoc public key must be added to the authorized keys for the target user on your server:

mkdir -p ~/.ssh
chmod 700 ~/.ssh
echo "ssh-ed25519 AAAA... zedoc" >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

Replace the key above with the actual public key from Zedoc. The SSH server must also accept key authentication:

PubkeyAuthentication yes

Editing an SFTP Connection

You can update the name, host, port, username, password, and path prefix of an existing SFTP connection. The authentication method (password vs. SSH key) cannot be changed after creation — if you need to switch methods, delete the connection and create a new one.

When editing a password-based connection, leave the password field blank to keep the current password.

After making changes, you must test the connection again before saving.

Troubleshooting

Connection refused — Verify the host, port, and that the SFTP service is running on the server. Check any firewalls between Zedoc and your server.

Authentication failed (password) — Double-check the username and password. Ensure the server allows password authentication.

Authentication failed (SSH key) — Verify that the public key has been added to ~/.ssh/authorized_keys on the server for the correct user. Check file permissions (~/.ssh should be 700, authorized_keys should be 600).

Permission denied on upload — The SFTP user may not have write permissions to the target directory. Check the path prefix and directory permissions on the server.