The functionality described on this page and in the entire chapter Working with Web Servers: Copying Files is available only in the Ultimate Edition of IntelliJ IDEA.
On this page:
Uploading files and folders
IntelliJ IDEA provides the following main ways to upload project files and folders to a deployment server:
- Manually, at any time through a menu command.
- Automatically, every time a file is updated, or before starting a debugging session, or during commit to your version control system.
- In the Project tool window, select this file or folder, choose Upload to on the context menu, and then select the target deployment server from the list.
- In the Project tool window, select this file or folder and then choose Upload to <default deployment server> on the context menu of the selection.
If the area is folded, click 
to expand it.
- Start checking in your changes.
-
In the After Commit area, choose the target server from the Upload file to drop-down list. Choose one of the existing server access configurations
or create a new one: click the Browse button
and configure access to the relevant server
in the Deployment dialog box that opens.
- To have IntelliJ IDEA automatically upload checked in files to the chosen server, select the Always use selected server check box.
IntelliJ IDEA considers a local file changed as soon as it is saved either automatically or manually ( or Ctrl+S), see Saving and Reverting Changes. Changed files can be automatically uploaded only to the default deployment server.
- Open the Options dialog box: Open the Settings / Preferences Dialog by pressing Ctrl+Alt+S or by choosing for Windows and Linux or for macOS. Expand the Build, Execution, Deployment node, and then click Options under Deployment.
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In the Upload changed files automatically to the default server drop-down list, specify when you want IntelliJ IDEA to upload changed files:
- To have IntelliJ IDEA upload any saved file no matter whether the save was invoked manually or automatically, choose Always.
- To have IntelliJ IDEA upload only files that were saved manually, choose On explicit save action.
- To suppress automatic upload, choose Never.
Downloading files and folders
To download a file or folder, select it in the Remote Hosts tool window and choose on the context menu of the selection.
To download a file from the default deployment server, choose on the main menu.