How to Fix FTP Connection Prompt During Plugin Installation

Solution verified by Salah Uddin

Quick Tips:

This issue is caused by incorrect file ownership or missing file system permissions. Define FS_METHOD in wp-config.php to allow direct access. WPFix247 can configure this quickly for you.

Why WordPress Asks for FTP Credentials

WordPress may prompt for FTP connection details during plugin installation or updates if it doesn’t have permission to write files directly. This often happens on shared hosting or when file ownership is not properly configured.

1. Add FS_METHOD to wp-config.php

The easiest fix is to force direct access. Open wp-config.php and add the following line before the line that says /* That's all, stop editing! */:

define('FS_METHOD', 'direct');

This tells WordPress to use direct file access instead of requiring FTP.

2. Check File and Folder Permissions

Ensure WordPress has permission to write to the wp-content and wp-content/plugins folders.

Folders: 755
Files: 644

3. Verify File Ownership

If you’re on VPS or dedicated hosting, make sure the web server (like www-data) owns the WordPress files. This can usually be fixed with:

chown -R www-data:www-data /path/to/wordpress

You may need SSH access or hosting support to do this.

4. Contact Hosting Support

If you’re unable to change these settings, your hosting provider can help configure the proper ownership and permissions.

Need Help?

The WPFix247 team can eliminate this issue by configuring file permissions, ownership, and proper settings, so you can install plugins without any FTP prompts.