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FTP source configuration form showing connection fields

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Overview

The FTP and SFTP sources let you retrieve data files from remote file servers. This is useful for scheduled feeds from partners, legacy systems, or any infrastructure that publishes data via FTP/SFTP.

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FTP Configuration

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Required Fields

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Optional Fields

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SFTP Configuration

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Required Fields

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Authentication

SFTP supports two authentication methods:
Authenticate using a username and password.
Use SFTP when security is a concern — it encrypts the connection and all data transfer. If your SFTP server supports key-based authentication, prefer it over passwords.

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Supported File Formats

FTP/SFTP automatically detects the file format. The following formats are supported:
Compressed files (.gz, .zip) are automatically decompressed before parsing.

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PGP Decryption

FTP and SFTP sources support fetching PGP-encrypted files. When pgpPrivateKey is configured, files are decrypted transparently before decompression and parsing. Both armored (.asc) and binary (.pgp, .gpg) encrypted files are supported.
See the PGP Decryption guide for details on key generation, supported formats, and error handling.

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Wildcard Paths

You can use a wildcard (*) in the file name to match multiple files. This is useful when:
  • A new file is exported periodically with a different name (e.g. /exports/products_20240101.csv, /exports/products_20240102.csv)
  • Data is split across multiple files in the same directory
Example patterns:
  • /exports/products_*.csv — matches all CSV files starting with products_ in the /exports/ directory
  • /data/*.json — matches all JSON files in the /data/ directory

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File Processing Modes

When using wildcard paths, you can configure how files are selected via the processType field:

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Reelevant-Hosted SFTP

For datasources configured via the platform, Reelevant can also provide an SFTP endpoint where your systems can push files directly. This is useful when:
  • Your infrastructure prefers to push data rather than have it pulled
  • You want to update data files without accessing the Reelevant platform
The SFTP credentials (host, username, password) are generated automatically when the datasource is created.

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How It Works

  1. Reelevant connects to the FTP/SFTP server using the provided credentials.
  2. The file at the configured path is located. If a wildcard is used, matching files are listed.
  3. Files are downloaded, decompressed if needed, and parsed based on the detected format.
  4. Fields are extracted and made available for mapping.
  5. On subsequent syncs, files are re-fetched according to the configured processing mode.