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Settings > Hosts > Remote

MAMP PRO allows you to connect to a remote server via (S)FTP. You can upload and download your website or data from your local Mac, or use the built-in editor to modify text files directly on the server.

MAMP PRO - Remote

We have paid special attention to helpful features around the world’s most popular WordPress. For example, MAMP PRO can automatically detect the database (MySQL/MariaDB) connection data of your WordPress installation on the remote server, or make all the necessary changes so that WordPress still runs smoothly after uploading or downloading to another server. Based on this technology, you can easily move (migrate) an existing WordPress installation from one server to another. And you don’t have to hand over any credentials to an external service. Your data stays with you on your Mac - safely stored in your keychain.

To see the files and folders of a host on a remote server in the built-in editor, you must switch the file list to its remote view. This is done with the switch on the right side below the file list. Editing, creating, deleting, or customizing files does not require a separate download step, and saving is also done directly on the server.

MAMP PRO - Remot - Remote Editing

Requirements

Before you get started, here are the requirements for your remote host account:

  • Apache or Nginx with mod_rewrite module (Apache 2.2 or higher)
  • MySQL 5.6 or higher / MariaDB
  • PHP 5.4.2 or higher
  • PHP extensions required: MySQLi, cURL
  • Working WordPress 4.9.4 or higher
  • User has rights to read & write files when connected via (S)FTP

YYou must also set your host provider’s PHP settings to the following minimum requirements

  • upload_max_filesize = 40M
  • post_max_size = 128M
  • max_execution_time = 120
    (This needs to be increased if your server is slow and cannot import data.)
  • memory_limit = 128M
  • max_input_vars = 2000

If you have any questions about changing these PHP configuration settings, please contact your remote server provider. Please also see our related articles. You can find them here.

Tested Host Providers

The following is a list of hosters that have been tested with various versions of Apache, PHP, and MySQL:

Host Provider Tested With
GoDaddy Apache, MySQL 5.6, PHP 7.2, FTP
IONOS by 1&1 Apache, MySQL 5.6, PHP 7.2, SFTP
Namecheap Apache, MySQL 5.6, PHP 5.6, PHP 7.1, FTP, SFTP
Host Europe Apache, MySQL 5.5, PHP 5.6, PHP 7.0, PHP 7.1, FTP
Domainfactory Apache, MySQL 5.6.19, PHP 7.0.24, FTP / FTP with TLS/SSL
Domainfactory Apache, MariaDB 10.4, PHP 8.1, FTP / FTP with TLS/SSL

Uploading & Downloading

Before you start transferring your site, make sure you have backed up both your remote host files and your remote database file (before each import transfer, a snapshot is automatically taken to save the last state of your local site, and if something goes wrong, you can always restore the snapshot of that host). Once you have made your backups, you are now ready to begin your transfer.

The transfer process involves making changes directly to the database and some configuration files. At this time, only the WordPress content management system has been fully verified for uploading and downloading to a remote server. Other content management systems, such as Drupal and Joomla, or dynamic websites have not been tested, but you may proceed at your own risk. Once the transfer is complete, you should see your site live.

More detailed examples on uploading and transferring your site can be found in the [FAQ section] (/Software-Documentation/en/MAMP-PRO-Mac/FAQ/Remote/).

What information do you need from your host provider?

  • Static Sites
    If you have a static site that does not use a database, you only need to enter the information in the “Transfer files using…” section.

  • WordPress and sites that use databases
    If you have a WordPress site or any other dynamic site where you use a database, you will need to fill in the “Transfer files using…” and “Remote MySQL server” sections.

    We only actively support WordPress sites, but your non-WordPress site may work. Please make backups before moving your site to a remote host. The remote feature does not support WordPress multi-sites.

Settings

Select the “Allow importing/publishing and remote editing of this host” checkbox to enable the Remote tab.

MAMP PRO - Remote

On the right side you will see a button with a gear symbol. Clicking this button opens a menu with the following options

  • Save current server settings of this host….
    ![MAMP PRO - Remote - Save current Server Settings of this Host…] (/Software-Documentation/en/MAMP-PRO-Mac/Settings/Hosts/Remote/MAMP-PRO-Remote-Save-current-Server-Settings-of-this-Host.png)

    This allows you to save the current connection settings to a file. You can later use the connection data from this file on any host.

    Note: The password of your FTP credentials and the password of your database (MySQL/MariaDB) server credentials are not stored in the file.

  • Copy settings from another host.
    Allows you to copy remote access credentials from another local host to the currently selected local host.

  • Ask provider for server info….
    Selecting this option will open the MacOS Mail application and create a new email. This e-mail contains some questions to your provider regarding the access data to your remote server.


  • Public URL
    This is what you must type into a web browser to view your remote website. The address must begin with “http://” or “https://”.

  • Transfer files using….

    • Protocol
      Select the protocol you will use to transfer files to your remote server. The options are as follows:

      • FTP
      • FTP with implicit SSL
      • FTP with TLS/SSL
      • SFTP with Password
    • Port
      Select the port to which you will connect when transferring your files to your remote server. The following ports are commonly used for the appropriate protocols:

      • FTP = 21
      • FTP with implicit SSL = 990
      • FTP with TLS/SSL = 21
      • SFTP with Password = 22
    • Server
      The name of the server you are connecting to when uploading or downloading your files to a remote server.

    • User Name
      Your username to use when connecting to your remote server.

    • Password
      Your password for connecting to your remote server.

    • Path
      The path to your web server’s document root.

      • Auto-Detect….
        If you click this button, MAMP PRO will try to determine the value for the Path field automatically. This button is only active if you have entered something in the Public URL field.

      • Select….
        Clicking this button opens a dialog with the directory structure of your remote host. Here you can select the appropriate directory.

  • Remote MySQL Server
    Most websites you create will use a database. You will need to connect to your remote database server (MySQl/MariaDB) to transfer your database.

    • Detect
      If you click this button, MAMP PRO will try to fill in the values of the database connection fields automatically. This will only work if you have WordPress installed on your remote server.

    • User name
      The name of the database user on your remote server.

    • Password
      The password of the database user on your remote server.

    • DB Name
      The database name you will be using on your remote server.

    • DB Host
      The name of your host on the remote server.


  • Publish Host….
    When you click this button, the data (files, directories, database) will be uploaded from your local host to your remote host.

    Note: You must first save your settings to enable this button.

  • Migrate Host….
    Clicking this button allows you to move the WordPress installation from one remote host to another remote host. The currently selected host is the source, and you select the target host.

    Note: You must first save your settings for this button to become active.

    MAMP PRO - Remote - Migrate

  • Import Host….
    When you click this button, the data (files, directories, database) will be downloaded from your remote host to your local host.

    Note: You must first save your settings to enable this button.

  • Check Validity
    When you click this button, the credentials you entered for your remote host will be validated.

    Note: You must first save your settings for this button to become active.

    If everything is okay, a message will be displayed:

    MAMP PRO - Remote - Check Validity (Credentials Verified)

    However, it is also possible that a problem is detected. For example, the following screenshot shows a message that appears when the remote server has a higher PHP version than the local host.

    MAMP PRO - Remote - Check Validity (PHP problem)

    The example below shows a message when there is a problem with the FTP data:

    MAMP PRO - Remote - Check Validity (FTP problem)