Link a device to your account
Installing the agent does not connect it to anything. Linking is one code, pasted once, and it replaces typing your account password into the agent — the password never goes near it.
Get a code
Sign in on the website and open guided setup. It shows a pairing code: copy it.
The code is single-use and expires 15 minutes after it is shown. A code left in a chat window overnight will not work; generate a fresh one.
Paste it into the configurator
On Windows, open the Filemote configurator and paste the code into the pairing field. Save, then start the agent.
Paste it into the terminal client
On Linux and macOS, run FilemoteCli and choose [2] Pair with a code. Paste the code,
then choose [7] Save and exit and start — or restart — the agent.
After a systemd install, point the configurator at the file the service actually reads:
sudo ./FilemoteCli --config /opt/filemote/app_settings.json
sudo systemctl restart filemote-agent
Configuring any other copy leaves the service reading an empty file, which is the most common reason a freshly installed Linux device never comes online. There is more on this in install on Linux.
Pairing through the terminal client also does two things worth knowing about:
- If no folders are shared yet, it adds your Documents, Desktop, Pictures and Downloads folders — whichever of them exist. The agent refuses to start with nothing shared at all. Adjust the list under [3] Root paths.
- It turns off the HTTPS requirement, because the agent reaches the relay over plain HTTP. If your relay uses HTTPS, turn it back on by hand.
What the code actually is
The code has two halves separated by a dot, and anything else is rejected with
Invalid code format. Expected '<token>.<key>'.
- The first half is a one-time token that proves to the server which account this device belongs to.
- The second half is your encryption key. It never reaches the server — that is the whole point of the design — and it is what lets the agent and your browser read each other's data.
Because the second half is a key, treat the whole code like a password. Anyone who copies it before you use it can attach a device of their own to your account and read what that key unlocks.
After pairing
Watch the device appear in your file manager on the website; it usually takes seconds.
To confirm from the terminal, choose [6] Show current config. The link mode line tells you where you are:
| Link mode | Meaning |
|---|---|
paired (device token) | Done — the code was redeemed and a durable token stored |
pairing code pending | The code is saved but the agent has not redeemed it yet |
password | Configured the old way, with an account password |
(not linked) | Nothing configured |
A device still showing pairing code pending after a restart never reached the server.
If the code is rejected
- Expired or already used. Generate a new one; codes do not survive 15 minutes or a second use.
- No server address configured. The terminal client says so and points you at [1] Connection settings.
- It paired but nothing appears online. Work down the device shows as offline.
Updated 2026-07-31