How I use Dreamweaver as a backdoor to upload to WordPress

If you’re like me you create your own websites, however you may use templates to make your life easier. Yes I can upload templates and plugins directly into WP but sometimes I get grief so I go thru the backdoor.

1. Make sure you have a good ftp connection (if you don’t have this don’t bother)
2. You’ll need Dreamweaver (DW) and if you don’t have it download a free trial here
3. Create a folder where you can have only the website template files
4. Open DW and go to new sites (you don’t need a file open so if you see the grey screen don’t trip out)

#4 DW menu bar for new sites

5. For the site name give it anything I usually give my website name abbreviated.

This is for item #5-#7

6. Local site folder is where you created #3 (I cut this area off below so you can see my goodies)

7. In left upper corner select servers (don’ miss this part)

8. Next click the only + sign in middle of the page

See that + sign then you are in the right place #8

9. Server name — Whatever you want I usually use my website name or a short variation

This is for #9-#16

10. Connect using: FTP (please don’t select anything else)

11. FTP address: ftp.mywebsitenamehere.com (you must enter this info or you will never connect and don’t worry about the port)

12. User name: see #1(make sure you have a good ftp connection and in order to do so you need a user and password)

13. Password: see #1

14. Root directory: put a slash / nothing else

15. Press test if it doesn’t work see #1 as that’s usually where the problem is so make sure you have caps off ore on if your info is all caps.

16. Web URL: if you have a good connection it should auto populate and if not if will look like this http://ftp.mywebsitenamehere.com (don’t worry about more options)

17. Press save and close out of the area to a blank grey screen

Grey like this but bigger #17

18. Go to top menu site them manage site and double click your website then click done. Give it a moment and you should see some files to the left. You may have to move any open windows out the way or select DW

DW menu bar #18

#18-#19 The files to the left might look like this

19. The files you should see are the remote files. To see the local files click this icon in the upper right hand corner.

Click this little baby to see the local files

Once you can see both the local and remote files you are ready to move your template and plugins over. On the remote side follow the path to wherever your root directory is (ie httpdocs)/wp-content/themes and then drag your entire theme from the right side to the left and do the same with the plugins (ie httpdocs)/wp-content/plugins.

If you do this correctly you will see the theme and the plugins waiting for you to activate in WP.

That’s the backdoor!

I hope this helps as others have helped me when I surfed and found info!

Goodluck!