Cobra Forum

Question: Website on Plesk returns webserver default page instead of the website content


Applicable to:

• Plesk for Linux

Symptoms

• Website returns Webserver Default Page instead of the website content.
• The following error appears in the /var/www/vhosts/system/example.com/logs/error_log file:

[error] [client 203.0.113.2] Directory index forbidden by Options directive: /var/www/vhosts/example.com/httpdocs/


• The Index files is set to Default in Plesk > Domains > example.com > Apache & nginx Settings.
• No one of index files:

index.html

• index.cgi
• index.pl
• index.php
• index.xhtml
• index.htm
• index.shtml

is present under Domains > example.com > File Manager.


Cause

The index file was renamed, moved, or removed.


Resolution

If the index file was removed, restore it from a backup or recreate it.

If the index file was renamed or moved, perform one of the following resolutions:


                If the website uses the renamed index file for its correct working capacity

1.Log in to Plesk.

2.Go to Domains > example.com > Apache & nginx Settings.

3.Switch the Index files directive to Enter custom value.

4.Insert the name of the file which is used instead of default index.* file.

5.Press the OK button to apply changes.

6.Go to Domains > example.com > File Manager and make sure that the custom index file is present in the opened folder.

7.If the custom index file is located in another folder, move it to the website Document root folder (can be found on the Domains > example.com > Hosting Settings page) by selecting this file in the File Manager and clicking the Move button:

(https://pix.cobrasoft.org/images/2025/12/29/screenshot_5.png)


                            If the website uses the default "index.*" file

1.Log in to Plesk.

2.Go to Domains > example.com > File Manager.

3.Find the renamed file and rename it back to the correct one (the correct name depends on the file content):

index.html

• index.cgi
• index.pl
• index.php
• index.xhtml
• index.htm
• index.shtml

by clicking the screenshot.png > Rename button:

(https://pix.cobrasoft.org/images/2025/12/29/screenshot_2.png)

4.If the index.* file is located in another folder, move it to the website Document root folder (can be found on the Domains > example.com > Hosting Settings page) by selecting this file in the File Manager and clicking the Move button:

(https://pix.cobrasoft.org/images/2025/12/29/screenshot_4-1.png)