Last updated on 2nd July 2026

Changing a server's protocol

When you create a server, you choose a protocol to connect with, and that protocol stays fixed for the life of the server. If you want to move to another protocol in the same connection family, you can create a copy of the server with the new protocol instead of deleting it and setting one up again from scratch. The original server is left untouched, so you can check the copy before removing it.

Compatible protocols

You can copy a server to another protocol that shares the same connection details:

  • FTP to or from FTPS
  • SSH/SFTP to or from Rsync
  • Amazon S3 to or from S3-Compatible Storage

Copying to a protocol outside these pairs (for example FTP to Amazon S3) isn't supported. The connection details, deployment options, and history are different enough that setting up a new server is clearer. To move to an unrelated protocol, add a new server and remove the old one.

How to copy a server to a different protocol

Open the Servers & Groups page in your project and select Duplicate on the server you want to copy. When the server has a compatible protocol, the dialog offers both a plain duplicate and a Copy as option for each compatible protocol.

Choosing a Copy as option opens a new server form, pre-filled with the connection details that still apply from the original. You only need to add anything the new protocol requires that the original didn't have. For example, copying from Amazon S3 to S3-Compatible Storage needs an endpoint for your storage provider, so that field is shown for you to complete.

Review the pre-filled form and save it to create the new server. It's named after the original, with the original protocol noted so you can tell where it came from (for example, a copy of an Rsync server is named "my-server (Rsync copy)"). Nothing is created until you save, and the original server is never changed.

After copying

Run a deployment against the new server to confirm it connects and deploys as expected. Once you're happy with it, you can remove the original server from the Servers & Groups page. If you run into connection problems, see our common server issues article.