Photohawk Studio
On-demand FTP for event photos: your own server, only when you need it
By Photohawk team · · 4 min read
FTP is still part of many event workflows. Some tools and some team habits only speak FTP, and a server you can drop files into at any time is hard to give up. What nobody needs is a server running all year, shared with strangers, for the few days a month they actually use it. That's the idea behind on-demand FTP: your own FTP server, started when you need it and switched off when you don't.
This article explains how on-demand FTP works on Photohawk, how to set it up once, and when you'd use it instead of the web uploader.
What on-demand FTP is
On Photohawk, everyone in your workspace can start their own FTP server from the web uploader, on every plan. Each person gets:
- Their own server, not one shared with other workspaces.
- A personal address that never changes, so you set up your FTP app once.
- A server that switches itself off after 1 hour without activity, so nothing runs when you're not using it.
It's ready in about 30 seconds. The full walkthrough, with screenshots, is on how on-demand FTP works.
Setting it up
The first time takes four steps. After that, it's start the server and upload.
- Open the web uploader and sign in, or open a gallery's Upload tab.
- Start your server. Click FTP server at the top, then Start FTP server. It's ready in about 30 seconds.
- Copy the details into your FTP app: your address, port 21, your Photohawk email and password.
- Upload into the gallery's folder.
The details to enter:
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Host | Your personal address, shown in the panel (or the IP address shown) |
| Port | 21 |
| Username | Your Photohawk email |
| Password | Your Photohawk password, or an FTP-only password |
| Transfer mode | Passive |
| Encryption | Plain FTP, or FTPS (explicit FTP over TLS); for FTPS use the host name |
Rather not save your Photohawk password in an FTP app? Click Create FTP password in the panel. It works only on your FTP server, and you can replace or remove it at any time.
Folders
You'll see your galleries as folders, at /Galleries/<gallery>/<collection>. A gallery with one collection is simply /Galleries/<gallery>. Create the gallery and its collections in Photohawk first; photos appear in the gallery within moments of arriving, just as they do with the web uploader. If you upload to more than one workspace, each has its own folder.
It switches itself off
The panel shows a countdown. Keep it running restarts it without uploading anything, and Stop switches the server off straight away. To be safe, it also switches off after 12 hours once nothing is uploading, and after 24 hours at most. Start it again whenever you like, with the same address and login.
You can run the server in Europe (Ireland), US East (N. Virginia) or Asia-Pacific (Malaysia). The nearest is picked for you, and you can change it before you start.
When to use FTP, and when not to
For everyday uploads, the web uploader is faster. It sends many photos at once, far more than an FTP app like FileZilla (2 at a time by default, and no more than 10), adapts to your connection, resumes by itself, and on every plan can put previews up first so your gallery is live in minutes. Photos sent by FTP upload as originals in one go, without that previews-first step.
On-demand FTP is for the parts of a workflow where FTP is essential:
- Software that only delivers by FTP, such as an export step at the end of an editing session.
- A team member who works best with an FTP app they already know.
- A drop folder during a long event, filled from wherever the photos are processed.
Many teams combine the two: the web uploader for the main push, previews first, and FTP for the trickle. Our comparison of web uploader vs FTP goes into the trade-offs.
If something doesn't work
- Can't connect? Check the panel says Ready. If the host name was only just created, use the IP address for a minute.
- Connected, but the folder list hangs? Turn on passive mode.
- "Too many failed logins"? Wait 15 minutes, then check the username (your email) and password.
Moving from shared FTP
Photohawk's always-on shared FTP servers close on 1 November 2026. If you use them today, start your own server and change the host in your FTP app to your new address. Your username, password and folders stay the same, so it's a two-minute change.
Not on Photohawk yet? Create a free Studio account and every plan includes the web uploader and your own on-demand FTP server. Plans are compared on the pricing page.
Questions people ask
Does on-demand FTP cost extra?
No. Your own FTP server is included in every Photohawk plan.
Why did my FTP server switch off?
It switches off after an hour without activity, so it never runs when you're not using it. Start it again any time with the same address and login. Keep it running resets the countdown.
Can two people in a workspace run servers at once?
Yes. Everyone in the workspace can start their own server, one each, at their own address. Only you can log in to yours.
Is it secure?
With FTPS (explicit FTP over TLS) on your host name, the connection is encrypted with a trusted certificate. After repeated failed logins, the server locks that connection out for 15 minutes.
What happens to the old shared FTP servers?
They close on 1 November 2026 and work as before until then. Start your own server and change the host in your FTP app; your username, password and folders stay the same.