How to Access the Root Directory of Your WordPress Site to Upload Verification Files

When setting up services like Google Search Console or Google Analytics, you may be asked to verify ownership of your website. One common verification method is uploading an HTML file to the root directory of your site. This guide explains how to access the root directory to upload such files, and also offers an alternative method if you’re using an HTML meta tag instead.

The root directory of a WordPress site is the top-level folder that contains all your site files, including core WordPress files like wp-config.php and wp-content. On BionicWP servers, this directory is located at: /srv/htdocs/

To upload a verification file (such as for Google Search Console), you typically need to place it directly in this root directory so it’s accessible via your domain (e.g., example.com/google123456.html).

There are two main ways to access and upload files to the root:

• Via SFTP, which allows secure file transfers between your computer and the server

• Using a WordPress File Manager plugin, which lets you upload files directly from your WordPress admin area

Option 1: Upload via SFTP

1. Get your SFTP credentials from this article:
   How to access your site via SFTP

2. Open an SFTP client (e.g., FileZilla or Cyberduck) and enter your credentials.

3. Navigate to the path:
   /srv/htdocs/

4. Upload the HTML verification file you downloaded from Google Search Console or Google Analytics.

5. Visit your site in a browser (e.g., yourdomain.com/google123456.html) to confirm the file is accessible.

6. Complete the verification process in your Google account.

Option 2: Upload via File Manager Plugin

1. Log in to your WordPress admin panel.

2. Install and activate one of the following plugins:

   • WP File Manager: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-file-manager/

   • WPIDE: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wpide/

   • FileOrganizer: https://wordpress.org/plugins/fileorganizer/

3. Go to the plugin’s File Manager view (usually found in your WordPress dashboard menu).

4. Navigate to the /htdocs/ directory.

5. Upload the verification HTML file there.

6. Verify the file is accessible in your browser, then proceed with verification on Google’s side.

If you choose the HTML tag verification method instead of uploading a file:

1. Copy the meta tag provided by Google.

2. Install and activate one of the following header/footer plugins:

   • Insert Headers and Footers: https://wordpress.org/plugins/insert-headers-and-footers/

   • WP Headers and Footers: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-headers-and-footers/

3. Go to the plugin’s settings (usually found under Settings in your WordPress dashboard).

4. Paste the meta tag into the Header section.

5. Save changes and complete the verification on Google.

Pro tip: If your verification file isn’t being detected, double-check that it’s uploaded to the correct path (/srv/htdocs/) and that there are no typos in the filename. Also, make sure there’s no caching plugin or CDN interfering with file delivery. You can test by opening the direct file URL in a private browser window