What’s New with SFTP in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (2025 Edition)
- sfmcstories
- Apr 9
- 3 min read
As data integrations become more secure and automation-heavy, SFTP in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) continues to evolve. The 2025 release introduces multiple enhancements that improve security, flexibility, and usability—especially for teams managing large-scale data imports and exports.
In this blog post, let’s explore the most recent updates and how they can streamline your data workflows in SFMC.
1. SSH Key Authentication Support
One of the most awaited enhancements is the support for SSH key authentication. You can now generate SSH key pairs and upload the public key into SFMC via Key Management in Setup. This eliminates the need to share sensitive passwords across teams and improves security compliance.
Benefits:
Avoids reliance on plaintext passwords
Enhances automation scripts with secure logins
Works across most modern SFTP clients
2. Multiple FTP Users per Business Unit
Salesforce now allows the creation of up to 3 SFTP users per Business Unit, giving enterprise teams more granular control over access and auditability.
Use Cases:
Assign unique users for import, export, and testing
Segment credentials by region, department, or automation
Easily revoke access if a team member leaves
3. External SFTP Locations Configuration
Another big step forward is the ability to configure external SFTP endpoints within Marketing Cloud. Under Setup > File Locations, users can now define third-party SFTP paths and use them directly in File Transfer Activities within Automation Studio.
This means:
You can now automate file transfers to/from external vendors
Removes the need for intermediary manual uploads
Simplifies partner integrations and custom pipelines
4. Logging & Monitoring Enhancements
Salesforce has improved visibility into FTP activities via enhanced logging and monitoring options. You can now review the outcomes of file transfers, automation triggers, and connection attempts more easily from the Audit Trail and Automation Studio logs.
New Features Include:
Timestamped logs for file arrival and processing
Error categories for failed decryptions or naming mismatches
Logs retained longer for security audits
5. Updated Folder Recommendations
SFMC continues to recommend usage of these folders for specific purposes:
/Import: For incoming files to be processed
/Export: For files generated by SFMC
/Safehouse: For staging encrypted/decrypted files
/Triggers: Used in legacy triggered send flows
/Pickup/Reports: For automated report retrieval
2025 Best Practice: Avoid using root directories and always prefix filenames with date/time for better automation accuracy (e.g., orders_20250409.csv).
6. Transitioning Legacy FTP to SFTP
If you're still using legacy FTP (non-encrypted), Salesforce strongly recommends migrating to SFTP. FTP support has been deprecated and will eventually be retired.
Migration Tips:
Update your clients to connect via port 22
Switch to SSH key authentication
Adjust IP allowlists as needed
Retest automations for SFTP compatibility
Quick Summary of Key Updates
Feature | Description | Available In |
SSH Key Support | Secure login without passwords | All editions |
Multiple FTP Users | Up to 3 users per BU | Enterprise accounts |
External SFTP Locations | Connect to third-party SFTP servers | All editions |
Enhanced Logs | Better visibility for file issues | All editions |
SFTP-Only Enforcement | FTP deprecated | Ongoing rollout |
Safehouse Enhancements | Improved encryption workflows | All editions |
Conclusion
The FTP/SFTP updates in 2025 show Salesforce’s commitment to security, automation, and integration. Whether you're an admin, developer, or architect, these enhancements are a big win for your data operations in SFMC.
By embracing SSH keys, leveraging multiple users, and connecting to external partners seamlessly, you can build a more secure and scalable data ecosystem within Marketing Cloud.
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