Intermediate
How to configure SSH access on Hostinger
Quick Answer
To configure SSH access on Hostinger, you need to enable SSH in your hosting control panel and create SSH keys for secure authentication. SSH access is only available on Business plans and higher.
Prerequisites
- Active Hostinger hosting account
- Business or higher hosting plan
- Basic knowledge of terminal commands
- SSH client installed on your local machine
1
Access your Hostinger hosting panel
Log into your Hostinger account and navigate to the Hosting section. Select the website you want to configure SSH access for and click Manage to open the hosting control panel.
Tip
Make sure you're using a Business or higher plan as SSH is not available on shared hosting plans
2
Navigate to SSH Access settings
In the hosting control panel, scroll down to the Advanced section and click on SSH Access. This will open the SSH configuration page where you can manage your SSH settings.
3
Enable SSH access
On the SSH Access page, toggle the SSH Access switch to enable it. You'll see your SSH connection details including the hostname, port (usually 22), and username displayed on the page.
Tip
Write down your SSH hostname and username as you'll need these for connecting
4
Generate SSH key pair
Click on Generate New Key Pair to create a public and private SSH key. Choose RSA as the key type and set the key length to 2048 bits or higher for better security. Download both the private key file and note the public key.
Tip
Store your private key file securely and never share it with anyone
5
Add your public key
If you have an existing SSH public key, paste it into the Public Key field and click Add Key. Alternatively, you can upload your public key file using the Upload Key button.
Tip
You can add multiple public keys for different devices or team members
6
Configure your SSH client
Open your terminal or SSH client and use the connection details:
ssh username@hostname -p 22. Replace username and hostname with the values from your Hostinger panel. If using a private key file, add -i /path/to/private-key to the command.Tip
Test the connection first with a simple command like 'ls' to ensure everything works
7
Set up SSH config file (optional)
Create or edit
~/.ssh/config on your local machine to add a host entry with your Hostinger details. Include Host hostinger, HostName your-hostname, User your-username, and IdentityFile /path/to/private-key.Tip
This allows you to connect simply with 'ssh hostinger' instead of typing the full command
8
Test your SSH connection
Connect to your server using
ssh username@hostname and verify you can access your hosting environment. Run basic commands like pwd and ls to confirm you're in the correct directory structure.Tip
Your initial directory should be your hosting account's home folder
Troubleshooting
SSH option not available in control panel
SSH access is only available on Business plans and higher. Upgrade your hosting plan or contact Hostinger support to confirm your plan includes SSH access.
Connection refused or timeout errors
Verify the hostname and port number in your SSH command. Check if your local firewall or ISP is blocking port 22. Try using
ssh -v username@hostname for verbose output to diagnose the issue.Permission denied with public key
Ensure your public key is correctly added in the Hostinger panel. Check that your private key file has correct permissions with
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/private_key and verify the key pair matches.Unable to access website files via SSH
Navigate to the
public_html directory using cd public_html after connecting. Your website files are located in this folder, not in the initial login directory.Ready to get started with Hostinger?
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