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Disable_Dir_Browsing_Apache

How to Disable Directory Browsing or Index of on Apache Linux Remote Server or VPS​

What is Directory Browsing ?​

Directory browsing allows anyone to see all the files in a folder and their contents.

Why should we Disable Directory Browsing ?​

Directory browsing can put your site at risk by showing important information to hackers which can be used to exploit vulnerabilities in website or hosting server.

Method 1: Disable in Apache Configuration​

  • Open the /etc/apache2/apache2.conf file.
nano /etc/apache2/apache2.conf
  • Find below content
<Directory /var/www/>
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride None
        Require all granted
</Directory>
  • Change Above content to below Content
<Directory /var/www/>
        Options FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride None
        Require all granted
</Directory>
  • Restart Apache
service apache2 restart

Method 2: Disable in Virtual Hosts File​

  • Go to /etc/apache2/sites-available
cd /etc/apache2/sites-available
  • Open the Required Virtual Host File
nano 000-default.conf
  • Add below Content
<Directory /var/www/html/>
        Options FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride None
        Require all granted
</Directory>
  • Restart Apache
service apache2 restart