Implicit TLS FTP connection using WinSCP or other command line FTP client in Windows

Question

I need to connect to an FTP secured with implicit TLS, username and password from the command line so that I can create a batch later on. I am using WinSCP since it's the most popular (I think) or the one that I can use to achieve this according to extensive googling. I'm not an expert but reading the documentation I have this so far with unsuccessful connection from command prompt:

winscp> open username:password@host:port -implicit -certificate="aa:aa:aa:aa..."

Once connected I need to extract everything there to a folder \hostname\folder or c:\folder then delete the files on the ftp (more or less like cut)

Answer 1

Thanks to Martin Prikryl correction I was able to connect, here is what I did:

Created a text file with the winscp.com commands "connection.txt":

# Automatically abort script on errors
option batch abort
# Disable overwrite confirmations that conflict with the previous
option confirm off
# Connect with username and password
open ftp://username:password@host:port -implicit -certificate="aa:aa:aa:aa...."
# Change local directory
lcd C:\local_working_folder
# Force binary mode transfer
option transfer binary
# Download missing files to local directory from remote
synchronize local
# Delete all remote files
rm *
# Disconnect
close
# Exit WinSCP
exit

Now from command prompt or in a batch file you just call winscp.exe from where it is installed. If from installation media it should be C:\Program Files\WinSCP\WinSCP.exe of if extracted from a .zip portable version point to the folder where you extracted the file:

C:\WinSCP\WinSCP.exe /console /script="connection.txt" /log="conn.log"

Then just schedule the batch to automate the process.

Answer 2

Your syntax is almost correct. You are missing only the protocol prefix ftp:// (note that WinSCP defaults to the SFTP protocol).

open ftp://username:password@host:port -implicit -certificate="aa:aa:aa:aa..."

For details see:
https://winscp.net/eng/docs/session_url
https://winscp.net/eng/docs/scriptcommand_open

If that does not help, you need to share with us a script log file or at least an error message.