Skip to content
Docs
Open Mammoth
Learn › Get data in › Connectors: open the docs menu

Import files from an SFTP server into Mammoth

The SFTP connector imports a file from any SFTP-compatible file server into Mammoth as a dataset. You sign in with a username and password, an SSH key Mammoth generates, or your own private key. Open it from Data Library > New dataset > Connectors and search for SFTP. Project Admins create the connection; Project Editors can start datasets from a connection the project already has. Which connectors you can add depends on your plan.

What you can bring in from SFTP

Files of these types: .txt, .csv, .tsv, .psv, .xls, .xlsx, .xlsm, .xml, .json, .jsonl, .ndjson, .zip, .bz2, .gz, .tar, .7z.

An Excel workbook opens to its sheets; tick columns from the sheet you want.

Before you connect SFTP

You need:

  • An SFTP server reachable from the internet.
  • A user account with read access to the files you want to import.
  • The server's hostname or IP address and port (default 22).
  • Mammoth's IP address added to your server's firewall allowlist. The connection form shows it. See Allow Mammoth through your firewall.
  • One sign-in method:
MethodWhat you need
Username and passwordYour SFTP user's password
SSH key generated by MammothAccess to add a public key to the server
Your own private keyYour existing SSH private key in PEM format

Connect an SFTP server to Mammoth

These steps follow the shared flow in Connect a database or app.

  1. Go to the Data Library and click New dataset.
  2. Choose Connectors.
  3. Search for SFTP and click its tile. The connector workspace opens with the Chat showing.
  4. The agent asks how you sign in to the server: Username and password (recommended), SSH key generated by Mammoth or Your own private key. Pick one, and it shows a connection card for that method.

The agent asks which SFTP sign-in method to use: Username and password, SSH key generated by Mammoth, or Your own private key

The bottom of the form shows: "Mammoth connects from IP [address]. Add it to your server's allowlist if needed." Allow that IP address through your firewall.

Sign in to SFTP with a username and password

Choose Username and password for password sign-in. In the connection form under Data → Connections, the same option is Username & Password under Authentication Method.

Connect SFTP card in the connector workspace chat with Username, Domain, Port, Password and Name, and Test and connect

FieldWhat to enterExample
UsernameSFTP user with read accessmammoth_user
DomainHostname or IP address of your SFTP serversftp.example.com
PortSFTP port, usually 2222
PasswordPassword for the SFTP user (optional on the card)
NameOptional label for this connectionSFTP Production

Fill in the fields and click Test and connect.

Sign in to SFTP with an SSH key Mammoth generates

Choose SSH key generated by Mammoth (SSH Key in the connection form). Mammoth creates a unique public key for you to add to your server, so you have no private key to manage.

FieldWhat to enter
HostHostname or IP address of your SFTP server
PortSFTP port (default 22)
UsernameSFTP user with read access
Display NameOptional label for this connection
  1. Fill in the fields and click Generate SSH Key. Mammoth shows the public key.
  2. Click Copy SSH Key to copy it, or Download key to save it as a .pub file.
  3. Add the key to the server's ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file, on the line for your SFTP user.
  4. Return to Mammoth and continue connecting.

Sign in to SFTP with your own private key

Choose Your own private key (Private Key in the connection form) if you already have an SSH private key for Mammoth to use.

SFTP New Connection form with Private Key selected, showing Host, Port, Username, Display Name, and PEM key text area
FieldWhat to enter
HostHostname or IP address of your SFTP server
PortSFTP port (default 22)
UsernameSFTP user with read access
Private Key (PEM format)Your SSH private key in PEM format (-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY----- ... -----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----)
PassphraseOptional passphrase, if your key is encrypted
Display NameOptional label for this connection
  1. Paste your private key in the Private Key (PEM format) box, or click Upload key file to select a .pem or .key file.
  2. If your key is passphrase-protected, enter the passphrase.
  3. Click Connect to save the connection.

Never share your private key or commit it to version control. If you think a key is compromised, remove it from your server's authorized keys at once.

Open an SFTP file and pick columns

Once connected, the workspace lists the folders and files on the server.

  1. In Tables, browse the folders and click a file to see its rows. A spreadsheet opens to its tabs.
  2. Tick the columns you want. They gather in Your table.
  3. Click Preview 100 rows to check the result.

If a file can't open in the panel yet, ask the agent in the Chat to import it.

Save an SFTP file as a dataset

  1. Click Save as dataset.
  2. Enter a Dataset name and choose a folder under Save in.
  3. Click Save. When the dataset is ready, click Open dataset.

Bring in new SFTP files as they arrive

Mammoth saves a file from this connector once and shows Saved once. Scheduled refresh for files is coming. A Dataset Refresh automation can't re-read it. To bring in new files:

  1. Set up a File Collection automation that collects new files into a folder. It can use a file name pattern. See What you can automate.
  2. Set up a Data Consolidation automation that adds that folder's files to a dataset.

Pull the next date-stamped file (older datasets)

Datasets created from the older SFTP connector dialog may use a Future pulls mode:

OptionWhat it does
Pull same fileRe-reads the selected file
Pull next file based on name patternLooks for the next file whose name matches a date pattern

For sftp_Tue-01-November-2022_daily.csv, the pattern is sftp_<dy>-<dd>-<mon>-<yyyy>_daily.csv. Put a date format inside <>. The supported formats are dd, mm, yyyy, yy, month, mon, day, dy, hh, mi and ss.

SFTP New Dataset dialog with Exact Sheet name, Future pulls mode set to name pattern, Folder to pull from, and File pattern

For new setups, use a File Collection automation with a file name pattern.

SFTP limits

  • An uploaded private key file can be at most 16 KB, the maximum size for an SSH private key.

Troubleshoot SFTP connections

SymptomLikely causeFix
Connection failsThe port is closed to MammothOpen port 22 (or your custom port) inbound from Mammoth's IP address, shown on the connection form
Connection failsA detail is wrongCheck the host, port and username, and for password sign-in, the password
Connection fails with a Mammoth keyThe public key isn't installedCheck the key is in ~/.ssh/authorized_keys under the SFTP user's home directory
Connection fails with your own keyThe key or passphrase is wrongCheck the key is valid PEM, the passphrase is right, and the matching public key is in ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
Permission denied on a fileThe user can't read the file or list its folderCheck permissions with ls -la on the server and adjust with chmod
"Invalid private key format. Please provide a valid PEM-encoded key."Mammoth couldn't read the keyUse a PEM key that begins with a -----BEGIN ... PRIVATE KEY----- line, and paste the whole key, including the -----BEGIN and -----END lines
"File exceeds the maximum allowed size for an SSH private key."The uploaded key file is over 16 KBUpload a key file of 16 KB or less
Was this page helpful?

Something wrong? support@mammoth.io