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How to Disable Directory Browsing in WordPress

We have seen many websites that don’t disable directory browsing. Unfortunately, this tiny mistake can expose sensitive information to hackers and may harm a website.

Directory browsing allows others to see your site’s files and folders. Hackers can then use this information to find vulnerabilities in plugins, themes, or your hosting server.

Taking this simple step can significantly improve your site’s security. It’s a quick fix that every website owner should know.

In this guide, we will show you how to disable directory browsing in WordPress. This will help you protect your site and keep your data safe.

How to disable directory browsing in WordPress

What Does Disabling Directory Browsing in WordPress Do?

When a visitor accesses a website, the web server processes their request. Typically, the server delivers an index file, such as index.html, to their browser.

If an index file is missing, the server may display a list of all files and folders in that directory. This behavior, known as directory browsing, is commonly enabled by default on hosting servers.

We have seen first-hand how directory browsing can expose sensitive information about a site’s structure. This information could be used to identify vulnerabilities in plugins, themes, or even hosting setups.

Visitors might come across directory browsing when they see a plain list of files and folders instead of a webpage. This unintended access can lead to security risks if not addressed.

Directory browsing enabled

Hackers often exploit directory browsing to view a site’s files, including themes and plugins. If any of these have known vulnerabilities, attackers can use that information to compromise the website.

In many cases, directory browsing can also expose private or paid content, such as ebook downloads or online courses. This can lead to unauthorized copying and revenue loss.

Disabling directory browsing is a simple yet effective way to prevent these risks. It’s one of the first steps we recommend for securing a WordPress site.

How to Check if Directory Browsing Is Enabled in WordPress

An easy way to check if directory browsing is enabled on your WordPress website is by visiting the /wp-includes/ folder directly.

For example, just enter a URL like this: https://example.com/wp-includes/ in your browser.

Make sure to replace example.com with your actual website’s domain name. This simple test works across most WordPress installations.

If you see a 403 Forbidden message or a similar error, then directory browsing is already disabled. This is a good sign as it means your website is more secure.

403 forbidden page is displayed when directory browsing is disabled

If a list of files and folders appears instead, then directory browsing is enabled.

This is something that leaves websites vulnerable to malicious attacks.

Directory browsing enabled

In our experience, enabling directory browsing exposes sensitive information and increases security risks. For this reason, it’s best to disable directory browsing in WordPress to keep your site safe.

How to Disable Directory Browsing in WordPress

To disable directory listing, you’ll need to add some code to your site’s .htaccess file.

To access the file, you’ll need an FTP client, or you can use the file manager app inside your WordPress hosting control panel.

If this is your first time using FTP, then you can see our complete guide on how to connect to your site using FTP.

After connecting to your site, simply open your website’s public folder and find the .htaccess file. You can then edit the .htaccess file by downloading it to your desktop and then opening it in a text editor like Notepad.

At the very bottom of the file, simply add the following code:

Options -Indexes

It will look something like this:

Added border to an image

Once you’re done, save your .htaccess file and upload it back to your server using an FTP client.

That’s it. Now, if you visit the same http://example.com/wp-includes/ URL, you’ll get a 403 Forbidden or similar message.

403 forbidden page is displayed when directory browsing is disabled

Expert Tip: If you suspect your WordPress website may have been hacked, then see our guide on fixing a hacked WordPress website. Alternatively, you choose our professional hacked WordPress site repair service and hire professional WordPress security experts to clean your website straight away.

Additional Reading:

Want to keep your WordPress website secure and error-free? You may find the following articles useful:

We hope this article helped you learn how to disable directory browsing in WordPress. You may also want to see our ultimate WordPress security guide or see our expert pick of the best WordPress security plugins.

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Reader Interactions

98 CommentsLeave a Reply

  1. I noticed that I have directory browsing disabled on my WordPress site, because I got a 403 error when trying to access wp-includes, yet I don’t remember ever having edited my .htaccess file to do so.
    Does WordPress automatically disable directory browsing during initial installation?

    • Unless there was a recent change it does not by default, it may be your hosting provider’s default settings for htaccess.

      Admin

      • That’s what I was suspecting also, thanks for clarifying that WordPress doesn’t disable directory browsing by default.
        And the respond too :)

  2. I didn’t even know that this vulnerability existed. Just checked mine and got the 403 error. which means directory browsing is disabled. Thank you.

  3. Thanks for the advice. On directory browsing, or that I have it enabled, the AIO SEO plugin keeps warning me. I have currently solved the problem by making the folders have an index file that is empty. Is it possible to take this as one of the possible solutions?

    • You can try that method but we would still recommend the htaccess method from our guide.

      Admin

      • Thanks for the advice, I finally used the Options -Indexes method now and AIO SEO already reports the problem as solved. Thanks again.

  4. After editing the htaccess file as per the provided guidelines, I do see 403 Forbidden message for /wp-includes/. But I’m unable to see edit any post. Upon editing a post, I see the same 403 Forbidden message. How to solve this?

  5. I am in love with this website. Every day I am surprised when I read a new article from this website. Thankfully I read this article today and immediately I implemented the advice.

  6. So is it ok to have this code on .htaccess file even when an index.php file is present in the root folder.

    Kindly respond.

  7. Hello
    does this action affect pages indexing on search engines?
    and does it make some problems for indexed pages of my WordPress website?
    Thanks

  8. Amazing post,

    Just have simple question, I added this code and it’s working, the question is Google indexes those page e.g sitecom/wp-contents/2019/2, will Google remove those pages automatically now as these are 404. Or I should remove it in Search Console?

    Thanks

  9. Hello!

    I recently applied this rule
    and at the same day the front page of my blog
    got vanished from google index.

    Do you see any connection?

    • Adding this to your htaccess should not affect your indexing, there are multiple reasons and you would want to check your Google Search Console for what it says about your home page.

      Admin

  10. Thanks for all the tips that you provide!
    I am still wondering how can you hide the wp-content & wp-include folder from sources? I hate it when someone goes right click and source it can see all of my plugins :). Do you have any script for this?
    Thank you in advance!

    • We do not have a recommended method for that at the moment, the most common reason you can’t see those folders in dev tools is a site’s cache.

      Admin

  11. Could you please tell me How can i disable WordPress in sub folder like my WordPress install on [www.mydomain.com] and i want to disable wordpress in [www.mydomain.com/customscript]

  12. I disabled directory browsing, but still someone can see my directory when they use developer tools in chrome browser. How do I disable in that as well?

  13. When I click “Save Changes” on the Permalink Settings page the .htaccess file is updated, erasing the “Options -Indexes” code that I inputted. The code works fine, but I am concerned I will unknowingly delete it while performing some other task. Are there any other dashboard settings changes that I should know about that may affect the .htaccess file and erase the code? Thanks

  14. Huge fan of wpbeginner, Optin Monster – I got so many useful tips and tricks on WP – and I have to say, the site design is just brilliant. And of course, the content here is epicly useful.

    Thanks guys!

  15. Hey! It doesnt seem to work. if i pull an image to another page its opened with a link of: example.com/wp-content/uploads/…
    Any idea? thanks!

      • I would appreciate if you could iterate on this. I had a hard time when trying to get a solution for this issue. There are some ideas based on a htaccess redirecting to a php file that first checks if the user is logged on. Is there any plugin which provides such a function?

  16. Sorry to late ask. I want to know, are these techniques safe to use regarding SEO score ? Hope you answer !

  17. I have been writing this same code for weeks now but my directory remains visible to users. Pls what am doing wrong? Or could it be that my site is still loading from cached contents? Everybody says it is working but my own experience is different. Any help will be appreciated! Thanks in anticipation of your reply.

  18. Is there a way to allow viewing a directory but just hide the Parent Directory link for a specific page? This would be a network share folder that multiple people would access, and have sub folders which would still require a parent directory listing. I just don’t want anyone going above the shared folder.

  19. This didn’t work for me. I tried before and after #END WordPress and didn’t work. I also tried “Options All -Indexes”, but didn’t work either

  20. Really great. today I just faced and thinking how can I disallow like joomla and I found the exact solution.

  21. Thanks so much, was dismayed to see images from my site going to a parent directory :0. This was very helpful and worked well.
    Blessings – A

  22. Thanks for this tutorial. It worked great for hiding my uploads from anyone just wanting to browse that directory. One question, though. Does this by chance turn off the ability of search engines to browse my website. Sorry if it seems like a dumb question. I am a newbie, after all. :)

  23. I added the Options -Indexes code to the htaccess file, however now I am not able to access the site I get a 503 error. Am I doing something wrong? Need help bad!! Thanks

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