ftp_close()

What ftp_close() Does

ftp_close() closes an active FTP connection that you previously opened with ftp_connect() (or ftp_ssl_connect()). It frees the network socket and the server-side session so neither side keeps the connection open longer than necessary.

You call it once you have finished transferring files — after any ftp_get(), ftp_put(), or ftp_nlist() operations. The function returns true on success and false on failure.

PHP closes the FTP connection automatically when the script ends, so a forgotten ftp_close() will not leak a socket forever. Calling it explicitly still matters in long-running scripts (workers, queue consumers, loops that open many connections), where you want to release the server session immediately instead of waiting for the script to terminate.

Syntax

ftp_close(FTP\Connection $ftp): bool

Since PHP 8.1 the handle is an FTP\Connection object. In PHP 8.0 and earlier it was a resource. You use it the same way in both versions — you never inspect it directly, you just pass it to the ftp_* functions.

Basic Usage

A complete connect → log in → work → close cycle looks like this:

<?php

// Open a connection to the FTP server
$ftp = ftp_connect('ftp.example.com');

// Authenticate
ftp_login($ftp, 'username', 'password');

// Download a file
ftp_get($ftp, 'local-copy.txt', 'remote-file.txt', FTP_BINARY);

// Always close the connection when you are done
ftp_close($ftp);

The key idea: every ftp_connect() should be paired with an ftp_close(), just like every opened file should be closed.

Checking the Return Value

ftp_close() returns a boolean, so you can confirm the connection was released cleanly:

<?php

if (ftp_close($ftp)) {
    echo "Connection closed successfully.\n";
} else {
    echo "Failed to close the connection.\n";
}

Closing Safely with try/finally

If an operation between connecting and closing throws or exits early, the ftp_close() line may never run. Wrapping the work in try/finally guarantees the connection is closed even when an error occurs:

<?php

$ftp = ftp_connect('ftp.example.com');

try {
    ftp_login($ftp, 'username', 'password');
    ftp_get($ftp, 'local.txt', 'remote.txt', FTP_BINARY);
    // ... more operations that might fail ...
} finally {
    // Runs whether the try block succeeded or threw
    ftp_close($ftp);
}

This is the recommended pattern for production code: the finally block is the single place responsible for releasing the connection.

Common Mistakes

• Using the handle after closing it. Once ftp_close() runs, the handle is invalid. Any later ftp_* call on it will fail.
• Passing an invalid handle. If ftp_connect() failed it returns false, not a connection. Calling ftp_close(false) raises a TypeError in PHP 8. Check the connection before using it.
• Calling it without a parameter. ftp_close() requires the connection handle; there is no default.

Summary

ftp_close() ends an FTP session opened by ftp_connect() and returns true on success. Although PHP closes the connection at the end of the script, calling ftp_close() explicitly — ideally inside a finally block — keeps long-running scripts tidy and releases the server session as soon as your work is done. To explore the rest of the workflow, see ftp_connect(), ftp_login(), and ftp_put().

Practice