Managing index files gets overlooked when creating a website. Most hosting companies come with an index manager to help you. If a directory does not have an index page, the directory list will appear showing all the files in that directory. Click here to see a directory with no index page and indexing turned on. This is unwanted and can cause security issues. Dishonest web designers can use this hole to see how you set up your sites. It can also be used to gain access to parts of your site that are private. As far as usability, a web surfer may stumble into one of the directories and not know where to go. Lost surfer = lost money.

The first step is to set the indexing settings on your server. This can be done in several ways. My Host uses Cpanel to control the site and the instructions are as follows:

The list of options I can choose are:

Each hosting company will have a different way of doing the above; but the concept is the same. If you are not sure if you have an index manager, contact your hosting company and find out how this is done. If index management is done right, you should get a 403 error page as seen here. I customized my 403 error page so it will look different then yours. You can see my article on creating 403 error pages here.<

Another way to index your directories is to include an index.html file in your directories. This will keep the directory list from showing on your site. When creating index files for this task, follow these rules for a 403 error page.

By disabling your indexing of directories, you can protect your site from prying eyes, malicious surfers or designers, and the occasional lost surfer. Like I said lost surfer = lost money.