Please enter your FTP credentials WordPress Origin: Application & API Last updated 12 Oct 2026

To perform the requested action, WordPress needs to access your web server. Please enter your FTP credentials to proceed

WordPress can’t write directly to its files (ownership differs from the PHP user), so it falls back to asking for FTP details.

Exact message you may see Please enter your FTP credentials to proceedWordPress needs to access your web serverConnection Information
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Seen on: WordPress

Meaning

WordPress uses the “direct” method only if files are owned by the PHP process user. On self-managed servers fix ownership; FS_METHOD direct forces it but still needs write permission.

Common causes

  • WordPress files owned by a different user than PHP-FPM/Apache
  • Mixed ownership after manual uploads
  • Shared hosting setups requiring FTP

⚡ Quick fix

  1. chown the WordPress directory to the PHP user
  2. Optionally define('FS_METHOD', 'direct') once permissions are right

Detailed fix by platform

WordPress

  1. php
    // wp-config.php (after fixing ownership)
define('FS_METHOD', 'direct');

Linux

  1. bash
    ps -o user= -C php-fpm8.3 | head -1   # PHP user
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html

How to diagnose

  1. PHP user — Process owner
  2. Files — ls -l wp-content

🔧 Still not fixed?

Many errors look alike. If the steps above didn’t solve it, one of these is probably what you’re facing:

Where this error sits

Origin: Application & API. Errors that are often confused with or caused by this one (click to open):

Call to undefined function (WordPress) — WordPress: Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function wp_get_current_user() / add_action() / get_header() (WordPress)Call to undefined fun…Call to undefined function create_function() — WordPress on PHP 8: Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function create_function() / each() (WordPress)Call to undefined fun…Critical error — WordPress: There Has Been a Critical Error on This Website (WordPress)Critical errorDestination folder already exists — WordPress: Destination folder already exists. Plugin installation failed (WordPress)Destination folder al…EACCES — Linux: Permission denied (Linux)EACCESInstallation failed: Could not create directory — WordPress: Installation failed: Could not create directory (plugin/theme install or update) (WordPress)Installation failed: …The preview could not be loaded — Elementor: The preview could not be loaded / Server Error 500 / Preview Debug (WordPress)The preview could not…The uploaded file could not be moved to — WordPress: The uploaded file could not be moved to wp-content/uploads/2026/10 (WordPress)The uploaded file cou…Please en…

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