What Network Access Skippr Needs for SFTP

June 2026

SFTP source access comes down to one reachable SSH endpoint and a user that can list and read the remote path you configured.

Short Answer

Skippr needs outbound access to the SFTP host on the configured SSH port, usually 22, plus credentials that let the SSH user read the remote path you configured. The source docs define the connector around host, optional port, username, either password or private_key_path, and remote_path, so the usable boundary is the exact SSH session that can list and download the target files.

That means SFTP readiness is not just a question of logging in once. If the source expects /data/*.json, the runner has to reach sftp.example.com:22, authenticate as the named user, and list files that actually match that path expression. A connection that succeeds but lands the user in a home directory with no access to /data/exports/ is still not a usable source.

Why Teams Struggle with This

SFTP sources look straightforward until the path and auth details become real. Teams often prove that an account exists, but not that the same account can read the exact remote location the production job expects.

• The runner must be able to reach the SFTP host on the configured SSH port.
• The SSH user needs read access to the specific remote_path, not just a valid login.
• Password auth and private-key auth are different operational paths and should not be mixed casually.
• A glob such as /data/*.json has to match real files, or the source will appear empty.

How Skippr Handles It

Skippr keeps the SFTP boundary concrete by focusing on one host, one port, one username, one auth method, and one remote path. That gives infrastructure teams a clean request: allow this runner to open one outbound SSH connection and let this account read this directory or file pattern.

It also encourages a better first test. Rather than aiming at a broad export folder immediately, you can validate one remote path and one small file set, which tells you more about the network and permission path than a large wildcard ever will.

• Uses the SFTP host and SSH port as the explicit network boundary.
• Supports either password auth or private-key auth for the SSH session.
• Reads from one concrete remote_path or glob pattern.
• Keeps secrets out of config through environment-variable password interpolation when needed.

What the First Useful Version Looks Like

The first useful version is one host, one auth method, and one remote file location that you can inspect before and after the extract.

If the SSH user cannot list that location yet, fix that first. SFTP pipelines are much easier once the remote path is boringly readable.