Scripting and Task Automation

You can have WinSCP generate a script template for you.

In the example below, WinSCP connects to example.com server with account user, downloads file and closes the session. Then it connects to the same server with the account user2 and uploads the file back.

# Connect
open sftp://user:password@example.com/ -hostkey="ssh-rsa 2048 xxxxxxxxxxx..."
# Change remote directory
cd /home/user
# Download file to the local directory d:\
get examplefile.txt d:\
# Disconnect
close
# Connect as a different user
open sftp://user2:password@example.com/
# Change the remote directory
cd /home/user2
# Upload the file to current working directory
put d:\examplefile.txt 
# Disconnect
close
# Exit WinSCP
exit

Save the script to the file example.txt. To execute the script file use the following command.

winscp.com /ini=nul /script=example.txt

For simple scripts you can specify all the commands on command-line using /command switch:

winscp.com /ini=nul /command "open sftp://user:password@example.com/ -hostkey=""ssh-rsa 2048 xxxxxxxxxxx...""" "get examplefile.txt d:\" "exit"

In Windows batch file, you can use ^ to split too long command-line to separate lines by escaping following new-line character:

winscp.com /ini=nul /command ^
    "open sftp://user:password@example.com/ -hostkey=""ssh-rsa 2048 xxxxxxxxxxx...""" ^
    "get examplefile.txt d:\" ^
    "exit"

See other useful example scripts.

When you find yourself limited by scripting capabilities, you may consider converting your script to code that uses WinSCP .NET assembly.

• Guide to scripting;
• FAQs about scripting;
• Useful example scripts;
• WinSCP .NET assembly.