What is a public_html Folder

The public_html folder is a crucial directory in web hosting environments that use cPanel or similar control panels. Here’s what it is and what it’s used for:

What is the public_html Folder?

Primary Web Directory: The public_html folder is the main directory where you store all the files that you want to be accessible via the web. This folder is also known as the document root for your website.

Publicly Accessible: Any files or folders placed inside the public_html directory can be accessed by anyone on the internet through your domain name. For example, if your domain is example.com, a file named index.html inside public_html can be accessed at http://example.com/index.html.

Website’s Root Directory: When someone visits your website by entering your domain name, the server looks inside the public_html directory to find the files needed to display your website.

Structure and Usage

Default Files: When a new cPanel account is created, the public_html folder might already contain default files such as an index.html or a default.html file. These files are placeholders and can be replaced with your website's content.

Subdirectories: You can create subdirectories within the public_html folder to organize your files or to create subdomains or subdirectories on your website. For example:

Files in public_html/blog/ can be accessed via http://example.com/blog/.

Files in public_html/images/ can be accessed via http://example.com/images/.

Permissions: The public_html folder is set with specific permissions to ensure that files inside it are accessible over the web. You should be careful not to change these permissions to avoid breaking your website.

Common Use Cases

Uploading Website Files: When you build a website, all HTML, CSS, JavaScript, image files, and other web assets should be uploaded to the public_html folder.

Hosting Multiple Websites: If you are hosting multiple websites on the same cPanel account, each domain might have its own directory within the public_html folder, or it may be in a sibling folder depending on your cPanel configuration.

Setting Up Subdomains: When you create a subdomain in cPanel (e.g., sub.example.com), a new directory is typically created inside public_html (e.g., public_html/sub). Files uploaded to this subdirectory will be served under the subdomain.

Security Considerations

Do Not Store Sensitive Data: Since everything inside public_html is publicly accessible, avoid storing sensitive data like configuration files, database backups, or anything that should not be accessible to the public.

Using .htaccess for Security: You can use .htaccess files within public_html to set rules for how your website behaves, including restricting access to certain files or directories, setting up redirects, or handling URL rewrites.

Summary

The public_html folder is the core directory where all your website files are stored and made accessible to the public via your domain name. Managing this directory properly is essential for running a secure and functional website.