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What file displays when someone browses to my domain name?

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When a visitor types your domain name in to their browser they are automatically directed to your website's default file. For example, to go to Google, you type google.com. It doesn't show up in your browser, but you're actually looking at the index.html page. Try it yourself, type google.com/index.html in your browser.

You might have guessed, index.html file is a default file. If it's the only default file in the root directory, it automatically displays when someone goes to your domain name.

If you have more than one default file in a directory, the server decides which one takes priority, and then displays that file. Understanding the order the files are served is key to making sure the correct page displays on your website.

Default File Names and Order of Precedence - Windows

This is the order of precedence for the default files on your Windows® hosting account:

  1. default.asp
  2. default.html
  3. default.htm
  4. default.aspx
  5. default.php
  6. default.shtml
  7. default.shtm
  8. index.html
  9. index.htm
  10. index.asp
  11. index.php
  12. index.shtml
  13. index.shtm
  14. home.html
  15. home.htm
  16. home.shtml
  17. home.shtm
  18. welcome.html
  19. welcome.asp

NOTE: On Windows IIS7 ColdFusion accounts, in addition to the standard set of Windows default files, the following files are configured. These files have precedence over the standard set of Windows default files. The files are listed in precedence order.

  1. default.cfm
  2. default.cfml
  3. index.cfm
  4. index.cfml
  5. home.cfm
  6. home.cfml
  7. welcome.cfm
  8. welcome.cfml

Default File Names and Order of Precedence - Linux

This is the order of precedence for the default files on your Linux Standard account:

  1. default.html
  2. default.htm
  3. index.php
  4. index.shtml
  5. index.html
  6. index.htm
  7. home.html
  8. home.htm
  9. index.php5

    NOTE: If you have ColdFusion enabled, index.cfm and default.cfm take priority 10 and 11, respectively. If you have Java enabled, index.jsp takes priority 10.

  10. welcome.html
  11. welcome.htm
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