Why You’re Seeing "Index of /" Instead of Your Website
If you're seeing an "Index of /" page listing files or folders when visiting your website, it usually means one of the following is wrong with how your files are named or uploaded
Evans
Last Update 2 months ago
Web servers look for a default homepage file (typically one of the following):
- index.html
- index.htm
- index.php
If none of these files exist, the server doesn't know which file to load first—so it shows a list of files instead.
Reason 2: Website Uploaded Inside a SubfolderImportant: File names are case-sensitive.
Index.html or INDEX.HTML will not work.Make sure the file name is all lowercase (e.g. index.html).
You may have uploaded your entire website inside a folder within the public_html directory.
This results in:
Incorrect structure:
public_html/your-folder/index.htmlThe Correct structure is:
public_html/index.htmlHow to Fix?
Move the contents from inside the folder directly into the public_html directory.
Do not upload the entire folder—just the files and subfolders it contains.
If you see the "Index of /" page and no files at all, your site files may have been uploaded outside the public_html directory.
How to Fix?
Log in to your hosting control panel (e.g., cPanel or DirectAdmin).
Open the File Manager.
Move all your site files into the public_html/ folder.
Refresh your website in the browser.
In summary:
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
| "Index of /" with file list | Missing index.html or index.php | Upload a properly named index file |
| "Index of /" showing a folder | Uploaded a folder instead of its contents | Move contents directly to public_html |
| "Index of /" with no files | Files uploaded outside public_html | Move files into public_html |