MFTPlus Documentation - Complete Guides, API Reference & Tutorials

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Quick Start: Your First Transfer in 5 Minutes ​

Transfer your first file with MFTPlus in under 5 minutes.

Prerequisites ​

  • OS: Linux (amd64/aarch64), macOS (Intel or Apple Silicon), or Windows 10+
  • MFTPlus account: sign up at dashboard.mftplus.co.za
  • Destination: SFTP credentials or a local directory path for your first transfer

Step 1: Install mftctl ​

Linux & macOS — one line:

bash
curl -fsSL https://releases.mftplus.co.za/install.sh | sh

Windows (PowerShell):

powershell
irm https://releases.mftplus.co.za/install.ps1 | iex

Verify:

bash
mftctl --version

For manual downloads and all supported platforms, see the Installation guide.

Step 2: Get Your API Key ​

  1. Log in at dashboard.mftplus.co.za
  2. Go to API Keys → Create API Key
  3. Give it a name and copy the key — it starts with sk_ and is shown only once

Step 3: Log In ​

bash
mftctl login sk_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx --server https://dashboard.mftplus.co.za

You should see:

text
✓ Successfully logged in to https://dashboard.mftplus.co.za

Your credentials are stored locally in ~/.mftctl/config.json (%USERPROFILE%\.mftctl\config.json on Windows) so you only do this once per machine.

Behind a proxy or custom deployment?

Override the saved values per command: mftctl connect --server <url> --token <key>, or update them with mftctl config set server-url / api-key.

Step 4: Connect This Machine as an Agent ​

In a terminal, run:

bash
mftctl connect

This opens a persistent connection to MFTPlus and registers this machine as an agent in your dashboard. If the connection drops, it reconnects automatically (retrying every few seconds, up to 30 seconds between attempts).

Leave it running — press Ctrl+C when you want to disconnect.

Step 5: Verify the Connection ​

From another terminal:

bash
mftctl agents list

Your machine appears in the list with an agent ID. You can also open the dashboard and check Agents — it should show your hostname as online.

Need details about one agent?

bash
mftctl agents show <agent-id>

Step 6: Send Your First Transfer ​

With your agent connected, send a file through it:

bash
mftctl send report.csv --to sftp://user@backup.example.com/uploads/ --agent <agent-id>

Then watch it move:

bash
mftctl transfers list

Or view status, timestamps, and file counts under Transfers in the dashboard.

Once you're comfortable with one-off sends, schedule recurring work with transfer jobs and triggers — see Transfer Triggers and the dashboard's Jobs page.

Troubleshooting ​

Login fails with an authentication error?

  • Make sure you copied the full sk_... key (it's shown only once at creation)
  • Regenerate a key in the dashboard under API Keys, then log in again

Agent not appearing online?

  • Check that mftctl connect is still running in your first terminal
  • Verify your saved settings: mftctl config list
  • Confirm outbound HTTPS to dashboard.mftplus.co.za is allowed

Transfer failed?

  • Check the destination path and permissions
  • Review recent attempts: mftctl transfers list

Need more help? See the Troubleshooting Guide for comprehensive solutions to common issues.

Security ​

Credentials are stored locally with restrictive permissions (600) and never leave your machine unencrypted. Transfers are encrypted in transit using AES-256.

Next Steps ​

Need Help? ​