Date First Published: 15th January 2024
Topic: Computer Systems
Topic: Computer Software
Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions
Difficulty: MediumDifficulty Level: 5/10
Learn about what a root directory is in this article.
A root directory is the top-level directory in a hierarchy. Like the trunk of a tree, the root is the starting point where all other directories (branches) originate from. When moving up files in a directory, users will eventually reach the root directory.
All file systems contain a root directory, which contains all other directories and files, but they are labelled differently. For example, the Windows default root directory is C:\. The root directory of a DVD or CD drive might be: D:\. The root directory is usually labelled / (a single forward slash) on Unix systems.
The root directory of a website is the publicly accessible top-level folder. The root folder of a website can be accessed using a single forward slash and contains the index file (index.html, index.php). It is accessed when typing the domain name into the search bar of a web browser.
The main website files are stored in the root directory. This includes the homepage, images, stylesheets, scripts, and other files like robots.txt and sitemap.xml used to instruct the access of search engine bots and help them navigate the website. Depending on the web hosting setup, the location of the root directory may vary. The root directory is a core part of a website, which is why it is important to be careful when making changes to it and only delete or move files if you know what you are doing. Mistakes can lead to broken links, missing content, and error messages, which can lead to a poor user experience.
Files that are not supposed to be publicly available should not be stored in the root directory. For example, login information should not be publicly stored in the root directory, where it could be easily accessed publicly by typing the URL. To prevent unauthorised access, file and folder permissions need to be correctly configured.
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