This article describes the way to use cPanel to define how your website handles directory listings.
Index options
cPanel enables you to specify how directories on your website are displayed. By default, if an index file isn’t in a directory, the directory's contents are listed in the user's browser. This is usually not recommended and is a potential security issue.
You can set one of four options for any directory:
- Inherit: This option uses the parent directory's setting. If the index settings aren’t defined in the parent directory, the system will use its default settings.
- No Indexing: This option specifies that if an index file isn’t present, a directory listing (e.g. no files will appear for the directory) isn’t displayed.
- Show Filename Only: This option specifies that if the default file is missing, a simple list of the files present will display.
- Show Filename and Description: This option shows a list of files and their attributes: file size and file type.
"If any sort of index file (for example, index.php, index.htm, or index.html) exists in a directory, the user sees the index file regardless of which indexing option is set for the directory."
Modifying a directory's index settings
To modify a directory's index settings, follow these steps:
1. Log in to cPanel.
2. In the ADVANCED section of the cPanel home screen, click Indexes:
3. Click the directory name that you want to modify.
4. Click the indexing option that you want to set for the directory.
5. Click Save. The new setting takes effect immediately.
