What is the ‘Index Manager’ tool and how does it work? Print
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The Index Manager allows you to a) disable directory browsing and b) specify which default files (in order of preference) the webserver must return when a visitor browses to any folder without specifying a specific filename at the end of the URL.

For example, if you upload numerous files into your public_html folder and then browse to your website eg. http://www.my-domain.com, how does the server know which file to return? The Index Manager tells it which default filenames to look for (as per the below list) in order of preference:

  1. index.html
  2. index.htm
  3. index.php (PHP only available with Basic accounts or higher)
  4. home.html
  5. welcome.html


If no file by the above names can be found, a directory listing of all files in the directory will be displayed. The Index Manager will allow you to change the name of your default page(s) and the order in which they will be searched.

How to change the default file using the Index Manager in konsoleH:

  1. Browse to konsoleH (http://myaccount.hetzner.co.za)
  2. Login with your Client number and Management password
  3. Select or search for a domain name in the ‘Hosting Service’ tab
  4. Click ‘Manage Services’ from the left-hand menu
  5. Click ‘Webserver Config’ under Configuration
  6. Click ‘Index Manager’
  7. Enter the default pages, in order of preference, separated by a space eg. firstpage.html default.html index.php index.html index.htm. (note: UNIX is case sensitive, so INDEX.HTML is not the same as index.html)
  8. Click ‘Save’

There may be directories where there is no file called by the same name as those specified in the default list and in this instance, the webserver will return a directory listing by default. This is undesirable and potentially insecure and therefore recommended that directory browsing is disabled. When directory browsing is disabled and a visitor browses to a folder where there is no default file present, a ‘404 Not found’ error is displayed.

How to disable directory browsing:

  1. Browse to konsoleH (http://myaccount.hetzner.co.za)
  2. Login with your Client number and Management password
  3. Select or search for a domain name in the ‘Hosting Services’ tab
  4. Click ‘Manage Services’ from the left-hand menu
  5. Click ‘Webserver Config’ under Configuration
  6. Click ‘Index Manager’
  7. Click ‘Disable’ (or ‘Enable’ to allow directory browsing)
  8. Click ‘Save’ Changes’

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