Importing Sites

WinSCP allows you to import sites from PuTTY SSH client, KiTTY SSH client, FileZilla FTP/SFTP client, OpenSSH config file and host keys from OpenSSH known_hosts file.

To open Import session dialog go to Tools > Import Sites on Login dialog.

On the dialog, select if you want to import from PuTTY, KiTTY, FileZilla, OpenSSH config or known_hosts files.

You will receive list of all sites/host keys stored in the selected application or configuration file. Next to each site name there is a checkbox. Use it to select sites/keys you would like to import. By default WinSCP selects only sites with supported protocol,1 for which there is no WinSCP site with the same name. You can alter the selection as you like.

PuTTY/KiTTY
FileZilla
OpenSSH config
OpenSSH known_hosts

PuTTY/KiTTY

For PuTTY/KiTTY, WinSCP looks for sites in registry.

FileZilla

For FileZilla, WinSCP looks for sites in C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\FileZilla\sitemanager.xml.

OpenSSH config

For OpenSSH config file, WinSCP looks to C:\Users\username\.ssh\config. In the file, it looks for all Host directives with specific hostname and imports them as sites to WinSCP.

When resolving site settings, it considers all Host directives, even those with wildcards. The following directives are recognized: AddressFamily, BindAddress, Compression, ForwardAgent, GSSAPIAuthentication, GSSAPIDelegateCredentials, Hostname, IdentityFile, KbdInteractiveAuthentication, Port, ProxyJump (single jump only) and User.

When private key is found in the IdentityFile directive, WinSCP will offer you to convert the key to PuTTY format, unless a key file with the same name and .ppk extension exists already. Additionally, if certificate file with the same name (but -cert.pub suffix) is found, it will be automatically added to the converted key file.

OpenSSH known_hosts

For OpenSSH known_hosts files, WinSCP looks to C:\Users\username\.ssh\known_hosts. You can also paste hosts key in OpenSSH format from clipboard using Paste button.

WinSCP imports also SSH host keys from the source application cache for hostnames from all selected sites. So you do not need to verify again the SSH host keys that you have verified in the other application already.

When you finish your selection, press OK to import the sites. Note that when the name of imported site collides with name of an existing site, WinSCP appends number to the end of the name to name it unique.

For session options that the source application does not have, WinSCP will use the defaults.