How to copy files over SSH with scp - Rocketeers app [ Rocketeers ](/) [Login](https://rocketeersapp.com/login) On this page Knowledge --------- How to copy files over SSH with scp =================================== ### [\#CommandLine](https://rocketeersapp.com/knowledge/command-line) Copy files and directories between your machine and a remote server over SSH using scp, including custom ports, key files and host-to-host transfers. Published by [Mark van Eijk](https://rocketeersapp.com/author/mark-van-eijk) on June 23, 2026 ยท 2 minute read 1. [Copying files over SSH](#content-copying-files-over-ssh) 2. [Local to remote](#content-local-to-remote) 3. [Remote to local](#content-remote-to-local) 4. [Copying directories with -r](#content-copying-directories-with--r) 5. [Using a custom port with -P](#content-using-a-custom-port-with--p) 6. [Using a specific key with -i](#content-using-a-specific-key-with--i) 7. [Copying between two remote hosts](#content-copying-between-two-remote-hosts) 8. [A few tips](#content-a-few-tips) [\#](#content-copying-files-over-ssh "Permalink")Copying files over SSH ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Whenever I need to move a file to or from a server, `scp` is the tool I reach for first. It rides on top of SSH, so if you can already [connect to the server over SSH](/connect-to-server-ssh-command), you can copy files to it without any extra setup. The general syntax is `scp `, where a remote location looks like `user@host:/path`. [\#](#content-local-to-remote "Permalink")Local to remote --------------------------------------------------------- To upload a file from your machine to a server, put the remote location on the right: ``` scp ./backup.sql deploy@example.com:/var/www/backups/ ``` This copies `backup.sql` into the `/var/www/backups/` directory on the server. If you want to rename it on the way, just include a filename in the destination path. [\#](#content-remote-to-local "Permalink")Remote to local --------------------------------------------------------- Flip the arguments to download instead. Here the remote path is the source, and `.` is the current local directory: ``` scp deploy@example.com:/var/log/nginx/error.log . ``` [\#](#content-copying-directories-with--r "Permalink")Copying directories with -r --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By default `scp` only handles single files. To copy a whole directory and everything inside it, add `-r` (recursive): ``` scp -r ./public deploy@example.com:/var/www/app/ ``` [\#](#content-using-a-custom-port-with--p "Permalink")Using a custom port with -P --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If the server's SSH daemon listens on a non-standard port, pass it with `-P` (a capital P โ€” lowercase `-p` preserves timestamps instead): ``` scp -P 2222 ./config.yml deploy@example.com:/etc/app/ ``` [\#](#content-using-a-specific-key-with--i "Permalink")Using a specific key with -i ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When the server expects a particular private key, point at it with `-i`. This is handy when you juggle several keys: ``` scp -i ~/.ssh/deploy_key ./release.tar.gz deploy@example.com:/tmp/ ``` If you'd rather not type this every time, you can configure the key per host in `~/.ssh/config` and `scp` will pick it up automatically. [\#](#content-copying-between-two-remote-hosts "Permalink")Copying between two remote hosts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You don't even need the file to pass through your machine. Give two remote locations and `scp` copies directly between them: ``` scp deploy@host1.example.com:/data/dump.sql deploy@host2.example.com:/data/ ``` Add `-3` if the two hosts can't reach each other directly and you want the transfer routed through your local machine instead. [\#](#content-a-few-tips "Permalink")A few tips ----------------------------------------------- You can combine flags, for example `scp -rP 2222` to recursively copy over a custom port. And if you're moving large directories around regularly, `rsync` is often a better fit since it only transfers what changed โ€” but for a quick one-off copy, `scp` is hard to beat. ### Subscribe to our newsletter Do you want to receive regular updates with fresh and exclusive content to learn more about web development, hosting, security and performance? Subscribe now! 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