Configure FTP account to download Azure diagnostics logs

If you just published your web app to Azure with Visual Studio you probably won’t have a FTP account configured in your App Service. I just want to share how to set it up to enable downloading logs via FTP.

If you go to “MONITORING-> Diagnostics logs” in your App Service you should see the text “No FTP/deployment user set” in the field FTP/deployment username:

Diagnostics logs download configuration

Use the page “DEPLOYMENT -> Deployment credentials” to set up a new  FTP user:

Deployment credentials configuration

If you go back to “Diagnostics logs” you will see the FTP/deployment username you can use to access the logs with the FTP client of your choice (On Windows I like to use WinSCP):

Diagnostics logs download configuration (updated)

Important: You have to use the full FTP username shown on the “Diagnostics logs” page consisting of the App Service name, a backslash followed by the FTP username:

AppServiceName\FTPUser

Hint: Try to avoid FTP and use FTPS instead to protect your credentials and data.