CuteFTP Keyboard Shortcuts: The Complete List for Windows & Mac

CuteFTP has 72 keyboard shortcuts across its Windows and Mac versions, covering file transfers, Site Manager connections, the Queue and Log panes, folder tools, and the built-in HTML editor. Most shortcuts are shared between platforms Windows uses Ctrl, Mac uses Command (⌘) in the same position with a handful of Mac-specific swaps for Alt → Option.

The most-used shortcuts are:

• Ctrl/Command + T – Connect to the site selected in Site Manager
• Ctrl/Command + Page Up / Page Down – Upload / Download
• F5 – Refresh the active pane
• Ctrl/Command + Q – Bookmark the current path
• Esc – Cancel a transfer

What Is CuteFTP?

CuteFTP is a file transfer client made by Globalscape, first released in 1996, used to move files between a local computer and an FTP, SFTP, or SSH server. It’s built for both casual users publishing a website and administrators who need secure, scriptable, large-scale file transfers. CuteFTP supports SSL/TLS and SSH2 encryption, a searchable Site Manager for saved connections, a transfer Queue, and an integrated HTML editor which is why its shortcut list spans several distinct areas of the app rather than just “copy” and “paste.”

Learning the shortcuts below mainly saves time in three places: connecting to sites you use often, managing multiple queued transfers, and switching between the local and remote panes without reaching for the mouse.

Most-Used CuteFTP Shortcuts

Site Manager & Connection Shortcuts

These are the shortcuts you’ll use most if you regularly connect to the same servers.

Quick answer: the shortcut to connect to a site in CuteFTP is Ctrl+T (Windows) or Command+T (Mac) it connects to whichever site is currently selected in Site Manager.

Transfer & Queue Shortcuts

Folder Tools & File Management

The Folder Monitor Tool (Ctrl/Command + F9) is worth knowing even if you never touch the rest of this list it watches a local folder and auto-uploads anything you drop into it, which is the fastest way to publish site updates from a staging folder to a live server without manually queuing transfers.

HTML Editor Shortcuts

CuteFTP includes a built-in color-coded HTML editor. These shortcuts only apply while it’s active.

Function Key Shortcuts

Windows vs Mac: What Actually Changes

CuteFTP for Mac maps almost every Windows shortcut one-to-one, so if you already know the Windows list, you know the Mac list. The only real substitutions are:

Every function key (F1–F12) and combination like Ctrl+Page Up/Down, Esc, Tab, Backspace, and Delete behaves identically on both platforms you’re not learning a second system, just swapping two modifier keys.

How to Customize CuteFTP Shortcuts

CuteFTP supports Custom Commands you can group frequently used command sequences and assign them their own shortcut key for one-click access, separate from the built-in shortcuts above. This is configured through the Global Options dialog box (Alt+F7 on Windows, Option+F7 on Mac).

If you send the same sequence of FTP actions repeatedly say, connecting, changing to a specific remote folder, and running a sync a custom command shortcut turns that into a single keystroke instead of several manual steps. Note that this customizes additional commands rather than remapping the core shortcuts listed in the tables above, which are fixed.

Download the Free CuteFTP Shortcuts PDF

Want this list on hand without opening a browser tab? Download the printable CuteFTP Shortcuts PDF for quick reference at your desk.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the shortcut to connect to a site in CuteFTP?

Ctrl+T on Windows or Command+T on Mac connects to whichever site is currently selected in Site Manager. Ctrl/Command+R reconnects to the last site you connected to.

How do I upload and download faster using shortcuts?

Select your files, then press Ctrl+Page Up (Command+Page Up on Mac) to upload or Ctrl+Page Down (Command+Page Down on Mac) to download no need to drag and drop or right-click.

Are CuteFTP shortcuts the same on Windows and Mac?

Almost entirely, yes. Every combination uses Command instead of Ctrl and Option instead of Alt on Mac; the key itself and its position in the shortcut stay the same.

Can you customize or remap CuteFTP keyboard shortcuts?

The built-in shortcuts in this list are fixed, but CuteFTP lets you create Custom Commands with their own assignable shortcut keys through Global Options (Alt+F7 / Option+F7), which is useful for automating repeated multi-step actions.

What’s the shortcut to cancel a transfer in CuteFTP?

Esc or F9, on both Windows and Mac.

How do I quickly switch between the Log pane and Queue pane?

F10 toggles between them; Alt+1 (Option+1 on Mac) toggles whether the Queue/Log pane is shown at all.

Does the Folder Monitor Tool have its own shortcut?

Yes Ctrl+F9 (Command+F9 on Mac) opens the Folder Monitor Tool, also known as “Hot Drop,” which auto-uploads files added to a watched local folder.

Is there a shortcut to clear the transfer log?

Ctrl+Shift+L (Command+Shift+L on Mac) clears the entire log.

Conclusion

CuteFTP’s 72 shortcuts look like a lot at first, but you don’t need to memorize all of them to move faster five or six will cover most of what you do day to day. Start with Ctrl/Command+T to connect, Ctrl/Command+Page Up/Down to upload and download, and Esc to cancel a stuck transfer, then add Site Manager and Queue shortcuts as you notice yourself reaching for the mouse.

Windows and Mac users are learning the same system either way, since the only real change is Ctrl becoming Command and Alt becoming Option. Keep this page bookmarked, or grab the PDF above so the full list is on hand the next time you’re moving files under a deadline.

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