Automating workflows using Make.com with Secure SFTP Hosting

Businesses today are handling a greater volume of data than ever before. This is one reason why automation has come to play such a crucial role in streamlining workflows, including ensuring secure and efficient data transfers.

Secure File Transfer Protocol, or SFTP, is a trusted method of securely transferring files between systems. Managing SFTP transfers manually, however, can be inefficient and time-consuming. Integrating SFTP with automation platforms like Make.com can therefore save time and effort.

In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at how to automate SFTP workflows using Make.com, as well as touching alternative automation tools including Zapier, n8n and Pipedream. Whether you need to automate data transfer between clients or suppliers, backup critical business data, synchronise cloud storage or trigger actions based on file transfers, automation can help you do it quickly and easily – so here’s how.

22nd January 2025

Why automate SFTP workflows?

SFTP is widely used by organisations for secure file transfers, but given the volume of file transfers involved, handling them manually can be an inefficient use of time and energy. Automating SFTP workflows offers a number of benefits, including:

Reducing manual effort: Automation eliminates repetitive tasks such as manually logging in, uploading and downloading files.

Enhancing security: Reduces human intervention, thereby reducing the risk of errors and security breaches.

Improving efficiency: Enables faster, seamless file transfers without delays.

Ensuring compliance: Some industries require audit logs and traceability in order to remain compliant with regulations. Automation platforms can provide these.

Common automation use cases include:

Automating backups: Regularly transferring files to cloud storage or local servers.

Automating business data and actions between clients and suppliers: Streamline operations by automating the exchange of files and workflows with clients and suppliers. For example, orders received via SFTP can be automatically processed and integrated into an order management or logistics system.

Syncing or processing data in cloud storage: Moving files between SFTP servers and cloud solutions like Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive.

Triggering notifications or actions: Sending alerts when a new file is uploaded or a specific action is required.

Alternative automation platforms

While Make.com is a powerful and popular automation platform, there are others that also provide automation capabilities for SFTP workflows. These include:

Zapier: Useful for beginners, Zapier supports thousands of the most popular apps, though it offers more limited SFTP integration compared to Make.com.

n8n: An AI-native alternative that offers greater flexibility and customisation, making it ideal for self-hosted environments.

Pipedream: Developer-friendly with real-time, event-driven automation, Pipedream offers robust integrations for more advanced use cases.

Security considerations

Security must be a top priority when automating SFTP workflows. While automation can be a valuable aid when it comes to productivity, security must not be compromised. Here are some of the most important security considerations to bear in mind:

Secure authentication: Use key-based authentication instead of passwords where possible.

Access controls: Restrict user access to specific files and folders to prevent unauthorised actions.

Encryption: Ensure data is encrypted both in transit and at rest.

Logging and monitoring: Keep logs of automated processes to detect anomalies and ensure compliance.

Following best practices such as these can help to maintain security, ensuring that automation makes your business more efficient without putting data at risk.

Conclusion

Automating SFTP workflows with Make.com and similar platforms can have transformative effects on the way businesses handle file transfers. By reducing unnecessary manual effort, improving efficiency and bolstering security, automation empowers organisations to optimise their processes so that team members can focus on the most important tasks.