What is directory browsing and what is the default document?

Default Documents

When a browser requests a directory, rather than a file name, (for example, http:// WinCEDevice/shared/), the Web server displays a "default" page if possible. Default documents are typically named default.htm or index.htm.

More than one default document can be specified when you configure the Web server. If configured to use default.htm and index.htm, the Web server first looks in the physical directory of the requested virtual directory for a file named default.htm. If no such file exists, it looks for a file named index.htm, and so on. The list of default documents are configured on the Web site configuration page.

Directory Browsing

If a directory is requested and a default document does not exist in it, the Web server will send a list of files and sub directories of the current directory if Directory Browsing is enabled. If directory browsing is disabled, the Web server issues an error.

Directory browsing can be configured for the entire Web site or, for greater control, you can override the default setting on each individual virtual directory. Note: Enabling directory browsing can make looking for files on your Web server more convenient, however it reduces the privacy of your site.