Home > Administrative Offices > Information Technology > Webservices > Step by Step > Directory Index

Directory Index

What is a Directory Index?

Every directory needs a web page to explain the contents of that location which is called a Directory Index. A web server will be configured to look for specific file names in a particular order, to use for this purpose. The list used by the VSU webserver, in the order searched for is:

1. index.phtml
2. index.html (most common)
3. Index.html (Note: the difference from item 2 is the capitalization of the first letter)
4. index.shtml (the default for the server)
5. index.htm
6. Index.htm (Note: the difference from item 5 is the capitalization of the first letter)
7. index.php
8. home.html
9. default.htm
10. Default.htm (Note: the difference from item 9 is the capitalization of the first letter)

Lacking a directory index will generate an error.

How can a Directory Index be created?

Name the file one of the variations above. Everything in the Creating Content section applies.