FTPMonitor / Guides / SFTP permission denied

SFTP permission denied

Why SFTP returns permission denied errors and how to fix file or directory permissions.

Diagnose this automatically

Verify whether authentication is the actual failure point.

terminal
npx ftpmonitor check --protocol sftp --host sftp.example.com --port 22 --username user --password pass
Shareable output
terminal
npx ftpmonitor check --protocol sftp --host sftp.example.com --port 22 --username user --password pass --format slack --copy

Prefer the browser? Run the same check on the homepage.

Permission denied errors occur when the SFTP user does not have sufficient rights to access or modify a file or directory.

Common causes

  • User lacks read/write permissions
  • Incorrect ownership on the directory
  • Chroot jail restrictions
  • File system permissions misconfigured

Fix checklist

  1. Verify user permissions on the target directory.
  2. Check ownership and group settings.
  3. Confirm chroot directory configuration.
  4. Ensure the user is allowed to access the path.
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Related
  • Authentication failed — Why FTP/SFTP authentication fails and how to correct credential, key, and account policy issues.
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