An fmcloud.fm server involves several accounts, usernames and passwords. Each credential protects a different service.
The password used to administer FileMaker Server is not the same as the password used to open a database. The support portal and the fmcloud.fm customer console also use their own user accounts.
Understanding these distinctions avoids login failures and, more importantly, prevents administrative credentials from being shared with people who only need access to a FileMaker custom app.
Quick password guide
| What you want to access | Credentials to use |
|---|---|
| FileMaker Server Admin Console | FileMaker Server administrator credentials |
| Upload to Host from FileMaker Pro | FileMaker Server administrator credentials |
| fmcloud.fm server-management console | FileMaker Server administrator credentials |
| Download backups through FTPS | FileMaker Server administrator credentials |
| fmcloud.fm support portal | Support portal account |
| my.fmcloud.fm customer console | my.fmcloud.fm user account |
| A hosted FileMaker database | Account defined inside that FileMaker file |
An encrypted .fmp12 file | File encryption password |
These passwords serve different purposes and should not normally be identical.
The FileMaker Server administrator password
When an fmcloud.fm server is deployed, we send the customer the FileMaker Server administrator username and password.
These credentials provide administrative access to the server. They are not intended for ordinary FileMaker users.
The same server-administration credentials are used for several operations.
Native FileMaker Server Admin Console
The native Admin Console is available at:
https://<your-server-address>/admin-consoleIt is used to monitor and configure FileMaker Server, open or close databases, manage schedules, inspect connected clients and access other server settings.
Because this account has extensive administrative privileges, its password should be shared only with people who are authorized to manage the server.
Uploading a database from FileMaker Pro
When you use File > Sharing > Upload to Host in FileMaker Pro, the host requests the FileMaker Server administrator username and password.
These credentials authorize the upload to the server. They are not necessarily the credentials used to open the FileMaker file itself.
If the uploaded file is encrypted, FileMaker may also request its separate file encryption password.
The fmcloud.fm server-management console
The fmcloud.fm administration interface is available at:
It uses the FileMaker Server administrator credentials associated with the relevant server.
This console provides additional server-management operations while retaining the same distinction between server administration and database access.
This console is available for the Starter and Pro plans only.
Downloading backups through FTPS
The FileMaker Server administrator credentials are also used to access the server’s backup area through FTPS:
ftps://<your-server-address>An FTPS-compatible application such as FileZilla can be used to browse and download the available backups.
A downloaded backup may still require:
- A FileMaker account and password
- A separate encryption password if the database uses Encryption at Rest
Downloading a backup does not bypass the security configured inside the FileMaker file.
The fmcloud.fm support portal password
The fmcloud.fm support portal is available at:
This portal has its own user account and password. It is not connected to the FileMaker Server administrator login or to accounts defined inside your databases.
Most fmcloud.fm customers prefer to interact with support by email. There is no requirement to sign in to the web portal to create or reply to a support request.
The portal is useful when you want to:
- Find current and previous support tickets
- Review the complete conversation history
- Check the status of a request
- Consult the fmcloud.fm knowledge base
- Keep several support requests organized
Email replies and portal replies are attached to the same support ticket.
The my.fmcloud.fm customer-console password
The customer console is available at:
It uses a separate personal account based on your email address.
This console is used to manage the commercial and organizational relationship with fmcloud.fm, rather than the technical settings of one individual FileMaker Server.
If you have not received or created your password:
- Open https://my.fmcloud.fm.
- Enter the email address used when the server was created.
- Use the password-recovery procedure.
- Follow the link sent to that email address.
Once connected, you can invite other users so that each authorized person has an individual login. There is no need to share one common customer-console password.
The password used to open a FileMaker database
When you select a hosted database in FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Go or WebDirect, the requested account name and password belong to the FileMaker file itself.
These credentials are created and managed inside the custom app through FileMaker’s security system. They determine which databases, layouts, records, fields, scripts and sharing technologies the user may access.
They are not:
- The FileMaker Server administrator credentials
- The support portal password
- The my.fmcloud.fm password
- The file encryption password
fmcloud.fm does not create, store or have access to the user passwords defined inside customer databases.
If a FileMaker user forgets their database password, the database owner, developer or another person with appropriate Full Access privileges must manage the account. The fmcloud.fm support team cannot retrieve that password from the server.
The same principle applies when the file uses external authentication, OAuth, LDAP or SSO: authentication is controlled by the custom app and its identity provider, not by the fmcloud.fm hosting account.
The file encryption password
An encrypted FileMaker database also has an encryption password. This protects the physical .fmp12 file and is different from every user account inside the database.
FileMaker Server may store this password in its encrypted cache so that the file opens automatically after a restart or upgrade.
If the encryption password is not saved on the server, an administrator must enter it manually each time the encrypted database needs to be reopened.
If the encryption password is lost entirely, neither fmcloud.fm nor Claris can recover it. See What Is FileMaker File Encryption? before encrypting a production database.
Secure container storage does not create another user password
FileMaker secure container storage encrypts externally stored container files, but it does not create another username and password for normal users.
Access remains controlled through the database account, its privilege set and the FileMaker interfaces authorized for that account.
Password-security recommendations
For each fmcloud.fm service:
- Use a unique password.
- Store administrative and encryption passwords in a password manager.
- Do not send administrative passwords to ordinary database users.
- Invite individual users to my.fmcloud.fm instead of sharing one account.
- Remove access when a person leaves the organization.
- Keep the encryption password outside the FileMaker Server cache as well.
- Document who is responsible for each account.
- Prefer external authentication and multi-factor authentication when appropriate.
The simplest rule is to identify what you are trying to access before choosing the credentials:
- The server: use the server administrator login.
- The customer console: use your my.fmcloud.fm account.
- Support: use email or your support portal account.
- A database: use an account defined in that database.
- The physical encrypted file: use the encryption password.
