FTP / SFTP delivery#

JSON2Video can upload rendered videos straight to your FTP or SFTP server, removing the need to download from our CDN and re-upload. This is the standard way to deliver finished assets to a media management system, a CMS staging area, or a customer's drop folder.

Configuration#

Add an FTP or SFTP destination to the exports[].destinations array. We strongly recommend saving the server once in Dashboard → Connections (Output destinations → Add destination → FTP or SFTP) and referencing it by id:

{
  "resolution": "full-hd",
  "scenes": [ /* ... */ ],
  "exports": [{
    "destinations": [{
      "id": "my-sftp-connection",
      "file": "promo-__yyyy__-__mm__-__dd__.mp4"
    }]
  }]
}

The password is stored encrypted. Override any field at request time by re-declaring it — for example, set remote-path per render while reusing the saved host and login.

Before your first render, use Test in the dashboard: JSON2Video connects, logs in and lists the remote folder, without uploading anything. See Test a destination.

Inline credentials (not recommended)#

If you must pass credentials inline, use the same JSON shape without an id:

{
  "exports": [{
    "destinations": [{
      "type": "sftp",
      "host": "sftp.example.com",
      "port": 22,
      "username": "uploader",
      "password": "...",
      "remote-path": "/incoming/videos/",
      "file": "__random__.mp4"
    }]
  }]
}

The password then travels in every movie JSON and sits in your codebase. Prefer a saved destination.

Properties#

Filename macros#

Both remote-path and file accept macros that are expanded at upload time. The most common:

• __yyyy__, __mm__, __dd__ — date components
• __hh__, __nn__, __ss__ — time components
• __random__ — 6 random characters
• __filename__ — the rendered file's name (e.g. abc123.mp4)
• __filename_without_extension__ (e.g. abc123) and __filename_extension__ (e.g. mp4)

Example dynamic path:

{
  "remote-path": "/customers/acme/__yyyy__/__mm__/",
  "file": "acme-promo-__yyyy__-__mm__-__dd__-__random__.mp4"
}

Operational notes#

• Timeout: all destinations of a render share a budget of about 5 minutes. Very large videos to slow servers may not finish in time.
• Order: destinations run one after another, in the order of the array. A failed upload does not stop the destinations after it (for example, a webhook listed after the FTP upload is still sent).
• Failure mode: if the upload fails, the movie's status is still done (the render succeeded). The failure is recorded in the movie's destinations_result, shown under Render logs → the render → Deliveries, and in the Last delivery column of a saved destination.
• Failed renders: when a render fails there is no video, so FTP and SFTP destinations are skipped.
• Public hosts only: a host that resolves to a private, loopback or link-local address is refused, in tests and in deliveries. In passive mode, when an FTP server announces a private address for the data connection, JSON2Video connects to the server's public address instead.

See also#

• Email notifications
• Webhooks
• Dashboard connections guide