Import saved sessions and hosts

You don't have to type your hosts in again. The app reads the sessions you already have and shows them in a list before anything is added. For a side-by-side look at the apps people move from, see the comparison pages.

Start an import

On the Connections page, open Hosts and click Import:

• Import from this PC… reads your SSH config, .rdp files in Documents and Windows' recent Remote Desktop list.
• Import from file has an entry for the sessions saved in the registry for your Windows account, one for a sessions folder of .ini files, one for your SSH config, and Choose a file… for anything else: a .reg export, a .mxtsessions or .ini sessions file, an XML export, a CSV file, an SSH config file or an .rdp file. The kind of file is worked out for you.
• Save a CSV template… gives you a file to fill in.
• Cloud accounts… imports your cloud servers at AWS, DigitalOcean and Azure as SSH or Remote Desktop hosts.

Check the list

Each host shows its type, where it connects, its folder and a status: New, Already saved, Saved · will update or Listed twice. Anything left out is explained in a note.

• Tick the hosts you want, or use Tick all, Only new or None.
• Folder is where they go (Imported unless you change it). Tick Keep the folders from the file to keep their own folders.
• Hosts already saved: Skip them, Update them (address, port, user and folder; saved passwords and keys stay) or Add them again.
• Import the key files these sessions use adds each key file to your key list once. You're asked for its passphrase if it has one.

The button says what will happen, such as Import 4 hosts. The hosts then show on the Hosts tab; see hosts and sessions for finding them and opening sessions.

A CSV file

The file needs a header row, and can use commas, semicolons or tabs. The template's columns are name, host, port, username, protocol, group, tags and notes; domain and keyfile columns are read too. Columns with other common names (Address, Server, Login, Folder…) are matched for you, and you can change the matching in the window.

• protocol can be ssh, sftp, ftp, ftps, rdp, vnc or serial. Empty means SSH.
• For serial (COM port) connections, the host is the COM port and the port column is the speed.
• Notes show in the list but aren't saved, because hosts have no notes field.

What isn't imported

• Passwords, never. You're asked when you connect, or you can choose a key.
• Jump hosts and gateways, such as ProxyJump in an SSH config. The host is imported with a note; HTTP and SOCKS proxies from registry sessions are kept.
• Port forwardings, and session types the app doesn't have, such as Telnet or Rlogin.

Files and the registry are only read, never changed. A file that has nothing to import just says so.

Imported hosts count toward the free plan's saved hosts, like any other host. Untick some, or get Pro for unlimited hosts.