Configure Dreamweaver Site Definition with SFTP for One-Click Static Site Publishing

The Problem and the Takeaway

You maintain a static website and want to publish changes directly from Dreamweaver without leaving the IDE. The built-in SFTP deployment lets you push files with a right-click or automatically on save, but the setup has sharp edges: key-format mismatches, path-mapping confusion, and the risk of overwriting production on every keystroke. This guide walks through a reliable site definition, highlights where things break, and gives you a quick verification checklist.

Prerequisites

• Dreamweaver 2021 or later (tested on 2024 release; UI may differ slightly in older versions).
• Local project folder containing your static site (HTML, CSS, JS, assets).
• SFTP server credentials: host, port (usually 22), username, and either a password or an OpenSSH-format private key (.pem or id_rsa). PuTTY .ppk keys must be converted first (puttygen key.ppk -O private-openssh -o key.pem).
• Remote web root path (e.g., /var/www/example.com/public_html) and the public URL (e.g., https://example.com).
• Write permission on the remote web root for the SFTP user.

Create the Site Definition

1. Open Site > New Site.
2. Site tab: enter a descriptive Site Name (e.g., "Example.com Static"). Click the folder icon next to Local Site Folder and select your project root. This folder must contain index.html at the top level.
3. Servers tab: click the + button to add a server.
   • Server Name: "Example.com SFTP".
   • Connect Using: SFTP.
   • SFTP Address: your host (e.g., sftp.example.com or IP).
   • Port: 22 (change if your provider uses a non-standard port).
   • Username: SFTP username.
   • Authentication: choose Password or SSH Key. For keys, browse to the OpenSSH private key file. If the key has a passphrase, Dreamweaver will prompt on first connect.
   • Root Directory: the remote web root (e.g., /var/www/example.com/public_html). This is the folder that maps to your local site root.
   • Web URL: https://example.com (must match the live site).
4. Click Test. A green checkmark confirms credentials and path mapping. If it fails, verify the Root Directory exists on the server and the user has write access.
5. Back in the Servers list, select the server and click the pencil icon. Under Advanced Options, decide on Automatically upload files on save. Leave this off for production sites; enable only for staging where accidental overwrites are acceptable.
6. Click Save on the server dialog, then Save on the Site Setup dialog.

Deploy and Synchronize

One-Click Put/Get

Open the Files panel (Window > Files). The dropdown shows Local View and your server name. Switch to the server to see remote files. Right-click any local file or folder and choose Put to upload; right-click a remote file and choose Get to download. Dreamweaver preserves directory structure relative to the defined roots.

Bulk Synchronization

For multi-file changes, use Site > Synchronize Sitewide.

1. Choose Entire Site or Selected Files.
2. Direction: Put newer files to remote (or Get / Get and Put).
3. Check Preview to see a diff dialog listing every add, update, and delete before confirming.
4. Click OK to execute.

Cloaking (right-click a folder in Files panel > Cloaking > Cloak) excludes folders like node_modules, .git, or build artifacts from synchronization, speeding up large sites.

Automatic Upload on Save (Use with Caution)

If you enabled Automatically upload files on save in the server's Advanced Options, every Ctrl/Cmd+S triggers an SFTP put. This is convenient for a personal staging server but dangerous on production. A safer workflow: commit to Git (see below), then run a manual Synchronize Sitewide after review.

Integrate Git for Change Control

Dreamweaver's Git panel (Window > Git) lets you stage, commit, and push without leaving the IDE. A typical flow:

1. Edit files locally.
2. Open Git panel, stage changes, write a commit message, click Commit.
3. Push to your remote repository (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket).
4. Run Site > Synchronize Sitewide to deploy the committed snapshot.

This separates code history from deployment and gives you a rollback point (git revert) if a deploy breaks the live site.

Verification Checklist

1. Files panel connection: green checkmark next to the server name in the dropdown.
2. Test file round-trip: create test-deploy.html locally with a unique string, Put it, then open https://example.com/test-deploy.html in a browser. Confirm the string appears.
3. Synchronize preview: run Site > Synchronize Sitewide with Preview checked. Verify the action list matches your intent (no unexpected deletes).
4. Output panel logs: Window > Results > Output shows SFTP transfer logs. Look for "Transfer complete" and absence of permission errors.
5. Live View: View > Live View loads the Web URL inside Dreamweaver. Useful for quick visual checks, but always validate in a real browser.

Limitations and Gotchas

• Key format: Dreamweaver only accepts OpenSSH private keys. Convert PuTTY .ppk with puttygen (see Prerequisites).
• Cipher compatibility: Older Dreamweaver versions may not negotiate newer SSH ciphers (e.g., [contact removed]). If connection fails with "Algorithm negotiation failed", check server sshd_config for supported ciphers or update Dreamweaver.
• Large directory trees: Synchronization scans the entire remote tree. Cloak build folders, vendor directories, and .git to keep it responsive.
• Site definitions are local: They live in ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Dreamweaver/ (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Adobe\Dreamweaver\ (Windows). Export via Site > Manage Sites > Export to share .ste files across machines; passwords/keys are not exported.
• No atomic deploys: SFTP uploads file-by-file. Visitors may see a partially updated site during large syncs. For zero-downtime, deploy to a staging folder and swap via symlink or server config (outside Dreamweaver).

Rollback / Recovery

If a synchronization deletes or corrupts remote files:

1. Immediately stop any running transfer (click the red X in the Output panel).
2. If you use Git, git checkout HEAD -- . locally, then Synchronize Sitewide > Put newer files to remote to restore the last committed state.
3. If no Git, restore from your server backup or the hosting provider's snapshot.
4. Dreamweaver does not keep a deployment history; the Output panel only shows the current session's logs.

Quick Reference: Server Settings Cheat Sheet

With the site definition saved and verified, you can now publish static updates without leaving Dreamweaver. Keep auto-upload off for production, cloak heavy folders, and use Git as your safety net.