Using PhpStorm for Remote Editing and Automatic Deployment to a Web Server

When maintaining a website, developers often edit code locally via SFTP or directly on the server, which works for small changes but becomes cumbersome for extensive debugging. This guide shows how to use PhpStorm to edit code locally while automatically syncing it to a remote web server.

1. Open PhpStorm.

2. Connect the local project to the server by adding a remote host under Tools → Deployment → Configuration (or press Ctrl+Alt+S). Choose FTP (SFTP or local are also supported) and fill in the connection details.

3. Configure the remote address and create the connection; the name is just a label.

4. Set up SSH configuration if needed.

5. Enter the remote account information and the directory where the code should be placed.

6. Configure the mapping of the remote directory and confirm the settings.

7. After configuration, start uploading the code.

8. Enable automatic upload by selecting Tools → Deployment → Automatic Upload . Once enabled, any saved change in the local project is instantly uploaded to the remote server.

Now the remote development workflow is complete; try it out!