/uploads/ and there’s no index.html or index.php, Apache lists the folder contents. Indexes lets you decide if that’s what you want.
How it works
Pick a folder
The page shows a file-browser-style picker rooted at your home directory. Click into the folder you want to set indexing for.
Pick a mode
Four options:
| Mode | Result |
|---|---|
| Default System Setting | Inherits from the parent folder (or server default). |
| No Indexing | Apache returns 403 Forbidden for the folder. |
| Show Filename Only | Plain list of file names. |
| Show Filename and Description | List with file size, date, and any HTML description. |
When to disable indexing
If a folder doesn’t have an index file and you don’t want visitors browsing its contents, set it to No Indexing. Common cases:/uploads/or/wp-content/uploads/: visitors don’t need to see the full file tree./backups/: definitely don’t expose that.- Any folder containing unprotected scripts you don’t want listed.
index.html inside; Apache serves it instead of listing the folder. But Indexes is faster for one-off changes.
Common questions
I get a 500 error after changing the setting
I get a 500 error after changing the setting
The page wrote an
Options directive into .htaccess, and your server policy may not allow it. Edit .htaccess for that folder and remove the Options line, or set it back to Default System Setting in this tool. Open a ticket if it keeps recurring.The setting changed but visitors still see the old listing
The setting changed but visitors still see the old listing
Browser and CDN caching. Hard-refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R) or test in an incognito window. If you’re behind Cloudflare, purge cache for that path.
Should I use this or just add an index.html to every folder?
Should I use this or just add an index.html to every folder?
Either works for hiding listings. Indexes is per-folder via .htaccess, scriptable through this UI. Empty index.html is per-folder via a file you create. Indexes is faster to apply across many folders; the empty file is more portable if you migrate to another host.