List the Contents of a Folder Without an Index

This guide explains the "Options +Indexes" directive, which facilitates navigation for visitors and allows for more advanced customization of how files are displayed.

For example, it will be possible to list the contents of a directory that does not have an index (i.e., a folder without a specific "home page").

Why Use This Directive?

Without this directive, a visitor may encounter an error message like:

Forbidden access!
You do not have permission to access the requested directory.
Either there is no index document or the directory is protected.
If you think this is a server error, please contact the site administrator.
Error 403

Implications

It is important to understand the implications of this option and ensure that directories containing sensitive information are properly protected upstream.

Displaying Files and Directories

One of the main advantages of enabling directory indexing is that visitors can see all the files and subdirectories in a given directory, even if they do not know the exact name of the file they are looking for. This can be particularly useful for file-sharing websites or download sites.

Easy Navigation

Directory indexing also makes navigation easier for visitors who are not familiar with the site's file structure. They can simply browse through subdirectories to find the file or folder they need.

Customization

The "Options +Indexes" directive can be customized to display additional information, such as file size and modification date, or to hide specific files or directories. This can be particularly useful for websites that need to control how files are displayed to visitors.

How to List the Contents of a Web Folder

To list the items in a folder without a specific index:

1. Create a .htaccess file in the relevant folder.
2. Add the following command:

Options +Indexes

It is important to note that this solution will only work if you have no indexes in the folder in question. You need to remove index files like index.php, index.html, index.htm, etc., as well as any welcome.php file, if present.

Customizing the Display

Here is an example of code to customize the appearance of the file list generated by Apache:

Options +Indexes
IndexOptions FancyIndexing
IndexOptions FoldersFirst IgnoreCase NameWidth=* DescriptionWidth=* Charset=UTF-8
HeaderName header.html
ReadmeName footer.html

In this example, we have enabled the "Indexes" option, added the "FancyIndexing" option for a more aesthetic look, specified the file sorting order, set the column widths for file names and descriptions, and specified the file names to use for the header and footer of the file list.