File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a network protocol for transmitting files between computers over TCP/IP connections. Within the TCP/IP suite, FTP is considered an application layer protocol.

FTP is useful for anyone who transfers or downloads files over the internet or to the cloud, as well as for developers who manage websites.

In an FTP transaction, the end user's computer is typically called the local host. The second computer involved in FTP is a remote host, which is usually a server. Both computers must be connected via a network and configured properly to transfer files via FTP. Servers must be set up to run FTP services, and the client must have FTP software installed to access these services.

Although many file transfers can be conducted using HTTP -- another protocol in the TCP/IP suite -- FTP is still commonly used to transfer files behind the scenes for other applications, such as banking services. It's also sometimes used to download new apps via web browsers.

There are multiple free FTP clients available to download; however, most web browsers also come with FTP clients.