When you access any location on a web server, the server expects to serve up the EXACT page named in the request, and if no page name is specified, to show the default page (usually index.htm). If no page is specified and no index page is found, but other files exist, the server will return a 403 Forbidden Error.
To allow an uploaded directory of files to be listed, without having to link to each of them from an index page, you need to enableDirectory Browsingfor that directory using the .htaccess file.
Making directories browsable:
- Create a new text file in a plain text editor (like Notepad or Textpad – do not use Word/Wordpad)
- Enter this line *exactly*\
Options +Indexes
- Save the file with the name “.htaccess” (note the leading “.” character)
- Upload the file to the directory you wish to make browsable.
Now you have told the web server (via the .htaccess Options +Indexesdirective) that you want to allow automatic index file creation in that directory.
The automatically generated index file will show a list of all files (if any) in the directory and any subdirectories.
