Disabling directory listing and protecting .htaccess Print

If a folder has no index page such as index.php or index.html, the web server may display its contents as a list. This can expose files that should not be public. Two short rules in your .htaccess file improve security.

Open the .htaccess file

1. Log in to cPanel and open the File Manager.
2. Click Settings in the top right corner, enable Show Hidden Files (dotfiles) and save.
3. Open the public_html folder, right-click .htaccess and choose Edit. If the file does not exist, create it with + File.

Disable directory listing

Add this line:

Options -Indexes

Folders without an index page will then show an error (403) instead of a file list.

Protect the .htaccess file

To prevent anyone from retrieving the file via a browser, add:

<Files .htaccess>
Order Allow,Deny
Deny from all
</Files>

Then click Save Changes.

Note: Make a copy of .htaccess before every change. If your website then shows a 500 error, restore the copy and check the syntax.