FileZilla Client ↔ FileZilla Server: Can a single XML profile enforce timestamp preservation across FTP and SFTP?

Short answer

No. A single FileZilla Client site-manager XML cannot configure FileZilla Server users, groups, shared folders, or permissions, and enabling Preserve timestamps in the client does not guarantee that the remote modification time will match the local file on FTP or SFTP. A repeatable setup requires separate client and server provisioning, plus per-protocol verification.

Why one XML is not enough

The client XML is a client-side profile. It stores connection details and the Preserve timestamps preference, but it has no schema for FileZilla Server accounts or access rules. FileZilla Server maintains users, groups, and shared-folder permissions in its own configuration, so importing a client export into the server will not create access for a remote user.

Preserve timestamps is a request, not a guarantee. FTP commonly uses MDTM after upload; SFTP uses file-attribute mtime or SETSTAT. The server must accept the command, allow write and overwrite on the target folder, and avoid changing the time through timezone conversion, DST handling, filesystem resolution, or resume/append behavior. Any of those can cause the stored mtime to differ from the local mtime.

Confirmed behavior and assumptions

• Assumption: you are using a FileZilla Client version with the site-manager Preserve timestamps option and administering FileZilla Server through its admin interface.
• Assumption: the destination filesystem stores modification time with at least second-level precision.
• Classic FileZilla Server is FTP/FTPS. SFTP support depends on the specific build and version; do not assume the installed server accepts SFTP.
• Timestamp equality is not guaranteed across time zones, DST boundaries, resume, or append transfers.

Steps for this case

1. Export the client site with Preserve timestamps enabled and import it into FileZilla Client on each repeatable machine. This configures only the client side.
2. Separately provision FileZilla Server: create the user or group, add the shared folder, and grant Write plus overwrite/replace permissions on the target directory.
3. Confirm whether your installed FileZilla Server build accepts SFTP. If it is FTP/FTPS only, use a separate SFTP server for SFTP timestamp tests.
4. For FTP/FTPS, confirm MDTM is available and not restricted. Upload a file with a known local mtime, then compare the remote mtime reported by FileZilla Client or shown in the server admin or logs.
5. For SFTP, if supported, repeat the same upload and compare the remote mtime. Treat any mismatch as unverified until the server behavior is confirmed.

Verification

No shell command is required for this check. In FileZilla Server admin, open Users or Groups, select the target account, open Shared folders, and verify Write and overwrite/replace permissions for the target folder. Then perform a controlled upload of a test file with a known local mtime and compare the remote mtime for FTP and, separately, for SFTP.

Missing diagnostic detail

Does your installed FileZilla Server build accept SFTP connections? This changes the recommendation: if it is FTP/FTPS only, you cannot validate SFTP timestamp preservation against that server and need a separate SFTP server.