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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 Yahoo!, you type yahoo.com. It doesn't show up in your browser, but you're actually looking at the index.html page. Try it yourself, type yahoo.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.shtm
  7. index.html
  8. index.htm
  9. index.asp
  10. index.php
  11. index.shtml
  12. index.shtm
  13. home.html
  14. home.htm
  15. home.shtml
  16. home.shtm
  17. welcome.html
  18. welcome.asp

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.html
  5. index.shtml
  6. index.htm
  7. home.html
  8. home.htm
  9. index.php5
  10. welcome.html
  11. welcome.htm

NOTE: Linux hosting file structure is case sensitive.