If a domain shows Apache’s default page or another site, changing DocumentRoot may not be the right first move. Trace the request in order: DNS must return the server’s address, the request must reach the intended port, Apache must match the exact hostname to the intended virtual host, and that virtual host must point to a readable directory.
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Use apachectl -t to catch syntax errors and apachectl -S to see Apache’s parsed virtual-host map. Those two checks, combined with a log entry and a request to a deliberately nonexistent URL, usually identify the failing layer without guesswork.
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A browser request contains several values that Apache evaluates separately:
| Layer | What is evaluated | Typical failure | Visible result |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNS | The domain and aliases resolve to an IP address. | An old A record, wrong AAAA record, or missing CNAME. | The request reaches another server, times out, or never reaches Apache. |
| Listener | The destination IP and TCP port, normally 80 for HTTP or 443 for HTTPS. | The site is configured only on port 80, while the browser uses 443. | HTTP works but HTTPS shows a different site, certificate, or redirect. |
| Hostname matching | The HTTP Host value is compared with ServerName and ServerAlias in virtual hosts for that address and port. |
The alias is absent, the file is not enabled, or the request reached a different IP. | Apache’s default page or another customer’s virtual host appears. |
| Filesystem mapping | The selected virtual host’s absolute DocumentRoot, URL path, and DirectoryIndex. |
The directory does not exist, has the wrong content, or cannot be read by Apache. | A 404, 403, blank directory response, or an application error. |
Apache’s name-based hosting logic first narrows the candidates by destination address and port, then compares the hostname. Once a virtual host is selected, Apache appends the URL path to that host’s DocumentRoot. A request for / is handled through DirectoryIndex, commonly an index HTML or PHP file.
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Virtual-host configuration does not publish DNS. An Apache server can contain a perfect ServerName and still never receive traffic for that name until the DNS provider points the name at the server.
Step 1: verify DNS before changing Apache
Check the apex name and every alias separately. A common partial fix is to point example.com at the server while leaving www.example.com at an old address.
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Run one of these commands on the machine that is showing the wrong site:
dig +short example.com
dig +short www.example.com
nslookup example.com
nslookup www.example.comCompare the returned IPv4 address with the server’s public address. If the domain has an AAAA record, compare the returned IPv6 address as well. A browser that has working IPv6 connectivity can follow a wrong AAAA record even when the A record is correct, making the problem appear intermittent or location-dependent.
Correct the records at the DNS provider
- Use an A record for an IPv4 address and an AAAA record for an IPv6 address that is actually configured on this server.
- Use a CNAME for an alias only when the DNS provider and your zone design call for it; verify the final address after the CNAME is followed.
- Point
www, regional names, and application subdomains individually. Apache aliases do not create DNS records. - After saving a record, wait for its stated TTL. Different resolvers can show the old answer until that cache period expires.
For local-only testing, add a line to the hosts file on the client machine, such as 203.0.113.10 example.com www.example.com, using the server’s real address in place of the example address. A hosts-file entry affects only that machine; it does not publish the name to other users or override public DNS.
Prove whether DNS is the problem
To test Apache without relying on public DNS, send a request to the server address while supplying the intended hostname:
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curl -H 'Host: example.com' http://127.0.0.1/Run that command on the server for an HTTP virtual host. If it returns the expected site locally but a normal browser request does not, investigate DNS, the public route, or a proxy in front of Apache rather than changing DocumentRoot.
Step 2: check the IP address and port Apache is serving
Apache maintains separate virtual-host sets for each address and port. A correct <VirtualHost *:80> block has no effect on a request arriving at port 443. Conversely, fixing only the HTTPS block does not change plain HTTP.
Check both protocols
- Request
http://example.com/and note the status,Locationheader, and page identity. - Request
https://example.com/separately. Confirm that the certificate belongs to the intended name and that the page comes from the intended directory. - If one protocol is meant to redirect to the other, make that redirect explicit in the port-80 virtual host and keep a deliberate port-443 virtual host for the final hostname.
On a server with several network addresses, an explicit address in <VirtualHost> must match the address receiving traffic. A wildcard such as *:80 covers all local IPv4 addresses for that port, subject to the rest of the Apache configuration.
Step 3: make the hostname match exactly
Each virtual host should have at least a ServerName and an absolute DocumentRoot. Put the canonical hostname in ServerName and every additional spelling that should serve the same content in ServerAlias.
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Minimal HTTP configuration
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/example
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example-error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>The directory in DocumentRoot is an absolute filesystem path, not a URL and not a path relative to the configuration file. If the site is meant to answer only for www.example.com, do not assume that the apex name will match automatically; list it or create a separate intentional redirect.
Create the corresponding HTTPS host
When HTTPS serves the site directly, create a port-443 block with the same names and an intentional document root:
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<IfModule mod_ssl.c>
<VirtualHost *:443>
ServerName example.com
ServerAlias www.example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/example
SSLEngine on
SSLCertificateFile /etc/ssl/example/fullchain.pem
SSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/ssl/example/privkey.pem
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example-ssl-error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example-ssl-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>
</IfModule>The certificate paths in this example must point to files that exist on your server. If port 443 is intended only to redirect elsewhere, configure that redirect deliberately; leaving the HTTPS name unmatched allows another port-443 virtual host to answer.
Step 4: confirm Apache loaded the file
A correctly written file does nothing if it is outside Apache’s included configuration or was never enabled. First test syntax, then inspect the parsed map:
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sudo apachectl -t
sudo apachectl -SThe first command should report that the syntax is OK. Do not reload after a failed test. The second command prints the virtual hosts Apache actually parsed, including the address and port, the default host for each pair, and the source file and line where each host was defined.
Interpret apachectl -S
- Confirm that both
*:80and*:443appear when both protocols are required. - Confirm that the intended file is listed. If it is absent, check the distribution’s include directories and site-enabling mechanism.
- Confirm that the expected
ServerNameand aliases are attached to the right address and port. - Look for another virtual host claiming the same name or an earlier host that has unintentionally become the default.
On Windows, run the equivalent command with the Apache binary, for example httpd.exe -S, from the installation’s bin directory. The output serves the same purpose: it shows Apache’s parsed, not merely edited, configuration.
Enable and reload using your distribution’s method
Debian- and Ubuntu-style installations commonly keep site files under /etc/apache2/sites-available and enable them with a2ensite; other distributions commonly include files from an Apache configuration directory directly. Use the mechanism already defined by your installation, then run the syntax test and parsed-map check again.
sudo apachectl -t
sudo systemctl reload apache2Some systems use the service name httpd instead of apache2. A reload applies a valid configuration without unnecessarily dropping established connections. If the reload reports an error, correct that error and test again before attempting another reload.
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Why the Apache default page appears
An unmatched hostname is served by the first name-based virtual host for that address and port. The default page therefore does not prove that the requested directory is wrong. It often means Apache never selected the virtual host you edited.
Common causes
- The site file is not enabled or is not included.
ServerAlias www.example.com(or another required spelling) is missing.- The browser resolved the name to another server address.
- An incorrect AAAA record sent the browser over IPv6.
- The request arrived on 443, but only a port-80 virtual host exists.
- The hostname contains a spelling difference, such as an extra label or a different public suffix.
- A load balancer or reverse proxy forwarded a different
Hostvalue than the browser sent. - Two files define overlapping hosts and the earlier one is answering first.
Use apachectl -S to distinguish an unmatched name from a filesystem problem. If the intended host is not in the output for the relevant port, changing its directory cannot affect the request.
Separate virtual-host selection from DocumentRoot errors
Once you know the correct virtual host answered, inspect its filesystem mapping.
Check the directory and index
- Verify that the exact
DocumentRootdirectory exists. - Place a temporary, distinctive test file such as
vhost-check.txtin that directory and request/vhost-check.txt. - For the root URL, verify that the expected file name is included in
DirectoryIndex, for exampleindex.htmlorindex.php. - Ensure the Apache account can traverse every parent directory and read the files. A missing execute permission on a parent directory can produce a 403 even when the files themselves look readable.
Apache combines the URL path with the selected root. A request for /images/logo.png maps beneath that root; it does not search every virtual host for a matching file.
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| Response | Most likely layer | Next check |
|---|---|---|
| Default Apache page or another site | DNS, port, hostname match, or load order. | Resolve the name and inspect apachectl -S. |
| 404 from the expected site | Correct host selected, but URL-to-file mapping or application routing is wrong. | Check DocumentRoot, the requested path, rewrites, and the application’s route. |
| 403 Forbidden | Directory permissions, access rules, or a missing index when directory listing is disabled. | Read the error log and verify traversal and read permissions. |
| Certificate warning or wrong certificate | Port-443 selection or TLS certificate configuration. | Inspect the 443 hosts and certificate directives; do not diagnose this from the port-80 block. |
| Redirect to an unexpected hostname | A redirect in the selected virtual host or application, or the wrong host answered first. | Use curl -I and inspect the Location header and logs. |
Use logs and a deliberately bad URL
Watch the access and error logs for the virtual host while making a request. The access log confirms whether Apache received the request and records the status; the error log often explains a missing file, permission denial, rewrite failure, or certificate problem.
To identify which configuration handled a request, request a path that cannot exist, such as:
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curl -i http://example.com/this-path-should-not-exist-9f3aApache’s troubleshooting guidance recommends this technique because the response and log entry can be correlated without confusing an application-generated home page with Apache’s own response. Give the temporary test path a unique marker, inspect the result, and remove any temporary marker file or response header afterward.
Test a virtual host locally with an explicit Host header
curl -i -H 'Host: example.com' http://127.0.0.1/this-path-should-not-exist-9f3a
curl -i -H 'Host: www.example.com' http://127.0.0.1/this-path-should-not-exist-9f3aIf those commands produce different branded responses, Apache is matching the names as configured. If both produce the same default response, inspect the parsed map and enabled files. For HTTPS, test the public name against the server address with a resolver override when appropriate, because TLS hostname selection and certificate validation are part of the 443 path.
Fixes for the most common combinations
The apex works, but www shows the default page
- Resolve both names and compare their addresses.
- Create or correct the DNS record for
www. - Add
ServerAlias www.example.comto the port-80 and port-443 hosts, or create an explicit redirect host. - Run
apachectl -tandapachectl -S, reload, and test both names.
HTTP works, but HTTPS serves another site
- Resolve the name and verify that the browser is reaching the same server on 443.
- Inspect
apachectl -Sfor a 443 virtual host containing the exact name. - Add or correct the 443 block, certificate directives, aliases, and intended
DocumentRoot. - Reload only after the configuration test succeeds, then inspect the 443 access and error logs.
The domain resolves correctly, but a 404 appears
- Use the access log and a unique nonexistent path to prove which host answered.
- Read that host’s
DocumentRootfrom the parsed configuration. - Confirm that the requested file is beneath that directory and that the application’s rewrite rules are present if the URL is routed dynamically.
- Check
DirectoryIndexfor a request to/.
The server’s IP shows a different site than the domain
This is normally expected with name-based hosting. A request made to the bare IP has an IP-based destination but no matching domain name in its Host header, so Apache returns the first virtual host for that address and port. Test with the real hostname, not only the IP, or supply an explicit Host header while diagnosing.
Changes look correct but the old page remains
First check the response headers and logs to make sure the request reaches this Apache instance. Then verify DNS answers from the affected client, including IPv6. A hosts-file override, resolver cache, or an old DNS TTL can keep one machine on a previous address while another machine reaches the new server.
Permissions and access checks after the host is selected
If the correct site is selected but Apache returns 403 or an error-log permission message, inspect the complete path from the filesystem root to the document directory. The Apache service account needs directory traversal permission on each parent and read permission on the served files. Keep application or private data outside the document root rather than making broad permissions changes.
Distribution security controls can also deny access even when traditional Unix permissions look correct. The error log will normally identify a policy denial; correct the policy for the intended directory instead of disabling the protection globally.
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A repeatable change-and-test checklist
- Resolve the apex,
www, and every required subdomain from the affected client. - Compare A and AAAA answers with the server addresses and wait for the relevant TTL after DNS changes.
- Test HTTP and HTTPS independently.
- Confirm that each required name appears in
ServerNameorServerAliason the correct port. - Confirm an absolute, existing
DocumentRootand the expectedDirectoryIndex. - Run
sudo apachectl -t; stop if it fails. - Run
sudo apachectl -Sand verify the parsed map, source file, address, port, and default host. - Reload the appropriate Apache service.
- Request a unique nonexistent path and correlate the access and error log entries.
- Remove temporary marker files and restore any temporary hosts-file entries when testing is complete.
Bottom line
A domain that appears to point at the wrong Apache directory is usually failing before filesystem mapping. Verify DNS and the IP/port first, match the exact hostname in both HTTP and HTTPS virtual hosts, confirm the parsed configuration with apachectl -S, and only then troubleshoot DocumentRoot, index files, and permissions. The default page identifies an unmatched or wrongly routed request; a 404 or 403 from the intended site points to a separate filesystem or access issue.
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