On a standard Debian or Ubuntu Apache2 installation, replace the welcome page by creating or editing /var/www/html/index.html. Apache serves that file when the request reaches the virtual host whose DocumentRoot is /var/www/html and the directory’s DirectoryIndex includes index.html. If you still see “It works!”, the request is usually reaching a different virtual host, directory, filename, or cached response.
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The short procedure
- Find the virtual host that answers your hostname and note its
DocumentRoot. - Back up the existing index file outside the web root.
- Write your complete HTML document to that root as
index.html. - If you changed the document root, permit the new directory in Apache’s configuration when required.
- Run Apache’s configuration test. Reload Apache only if configuration changed.
- Open the site with the intended hostname and, if necessary, troubleshoot virtual-host selection, filename case, index ordering, or caching.
How Apache chooses the page for /
Apache does not search your entire server for a file named index.html. It first selects a virtual host, then maps the URL path into that host’s DocumentRoot. If the selected root is /var/www/html, a request for https://example.test/ maps to the directory /var/www/html/. A request for /work/ maps to /var/www/html/work/.
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Because the URL ends in a directory, Apache’s mod_dir module consults the DirectoryIndex directive. Apache documents index.html as the default value. Ubuntu’s packaged configuration in /etc/apache2/mods-available/dir.conf starts with this ordered list:
DirectoryIndex index.html index.cgi index.pl index.php index.xhtml index.htmApache checks the names from left to right and serves the first matching resource. Therefore, an existing index.php can be ignored when index.html appears first, while a file named Index.html does not match the lowercase entry on a case-sensitive Linux filesystem.
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Find the active virtual host and document root
The packaged default site commonly uses /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/000-default.conf, but the file that answers your hostname may be another enabled site. A name-based virtual host is selected from the request’s hostname, so editing /var/www/html/index.html has no effect if your domain is being served by a different host configuration.
Open the enabled configuration and locate the DocumentRoot inside the relevant <VirtualHost> block:
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sudo apache2ctl -SUse the hostname, address, and port shown by that output to identify the host that receives your request. Record the exact root path, including capitalization. That path—not a remembered default—is where the home page belongs.
Replace the page in the packaged default root
1. Back up the shipped page
Keep the original outside the public directory so Apache cannot serve the backup accidentally. A dated filename makes rollback straightforward:
sudo cp /var/www/html/index.html /var/backups/apache-index.html.$(date +%F-%H%M%S)Create /var/backups first if it does not exist, and make sure the account running the command has permission to write there.
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2. Create your complete HTML document
Write a normal HTML document—not only a fragment—to the lowercase filename /var/www/html/index.html:
sudo nano /var/www/html/index.htmlFor example:
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>My Apache site</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Welcome</h1>
<p>This page is served by Apache.</p>
</body>
</html>Save the file, then verify that it exists at the exact path:
ls -l /var/www/html/index.htmlOn the default Debian/Ubuntu site, changing the file itself does not require a service restart or reload. Apache reads the file for the next request. A reload is needed when you change Apache configuration, such as DocumentRoot or DirectoryIndex.
Use a custom document root instead
A separate site directory is useful when you want the web content outside the packaged tree. The change has two parts: point the active virtual host at the directory and ensure Apache is allowed to serve it.
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1. Create the directory and page
sudo mkdir -p /srv/my-site
sudo nano /srv/my-site/index.htmlUse the same lowercase index.html filename. The directory must contain the complete page you want returned for the site root.
2. Change the active virtual host
Edit the host that answers your hostname, commonly by creating or editing a file under /etc/apache2/sites-available/. Set its root to the directory you created:
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<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName example.test
DocumentRoot /srv/my-site
<Directory /srv/my-site>
Require all granted
</Directory>
</VirtualHost>The exact ServerName, port, TLS settings, and other directives depend on your site. Do not paste this block over an existing production configuration without preserving its required directives. Enable the site if it is new, then disable a conflicting default site only when you are certain the intended host should receive the request:
sudo a2ensite my-site.conf
sudo a2dissite 000-default.confDebian’s packaged default-page text warns that a document root outside the usual location—for example, under /srv—may also need permission in /etc/apache2/apache2.conf. An appropriate <Directory> section, as shown above, is the place to express that access policy. Do not grant broad access to the entire filesystem merely to make one page work.
3. Test and reload
sudo apache2ctl configtest
sudo systemctl reload apache2Proceed with the reload only if the configuration test reports success. A reload applies configuration without rebooting the machine. If your distribution uses a different service manager, use its equivalent reload operation.
Set a different home-page filename when necessary
You do not have to call the page index.html, but Apache must be told the name and order to try. For a host that should prefer home.html, add or change:
DirectoryIndex home.html index.htmlPlace the directive in the appropriate virtual-host or directory configuration, test the syntax, and reload Apache. The first existing candidate wins. If home.html exists, it will be returned before index.html; if it does not, Apache falls back to index.html.
Ubuntu’s packaged list also includes CGI, Perl, PHP, XHTML, and older HTML names. That ordering can explain why a page other than the one you edited appears. Inspect the effective configuration before changing it. Keep the list intentionally narrow on a public site so an obsolete file cannot silently become the home page.
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What happens when no index file exists
If none of the configured DirectoryIndex names exists, Apache does not automatically invent an HTML home page. A directory listing is generated only when the Indexes option is enabled. Without it, the request can be denied instead.
Directory listings expose filenames and are generally discouraged on a public DocumentRoot. Creating a file with an arbitrary name and enabling listings is not a substitute for choosing a deliberate home page. Add the correctly named index resource or configure an intentional application entry point instead.
Verify the result without trusting a stale browser tab
- Request the intended hostname, not merely the server’s IP address. The hostname determines which name-based virtual host is selected.
- Open the root URL with a fresh browser window or private session.
- Compare the response with a command-line request, for example
curl -i http://example.test/, replacing the hostname and scheme used by your site. - Confirm that the response body contains a distinctive string from your new page.
- If the browser and command-line response disagree, inspect response headers and any reverse-proxy or browser cache before editing Apache again.
A successful file change can be hidden by a cached response. A fresh request and the server’s access or error logs provide a better indication of what Apache actually returned.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Diagnose the “It works!” page and other failures
You edited the wrong file
This is the most common cause. Check the selected virtual host and its DocumentRoot. If the host points to /srv/my-site, changing /var/www/html/index.html cannot change that response. Use apache2ctl -S and inspect the matching host configuration.
The filename or capitalization is wrong
The configured name is exact. Index.html, home.html, and index.HTML are different names on a typical Linux filesystem. Rename the file to the configured lowercase name or change DirectoryIndex deliberately.
Another index file wins
Look at the complete ordered list, not just whether index.html appears somewhere in it. If an earlier candidate exists, Apache serves that file. Remove the unintended candidate or put your preferred name first, then test and reload the configuration.
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The custom directory is denied
A root outside the usual Debian/Ubuntu locations may not be permitted by the server’s directory rules. Add a narrowly scoped <Directory> rule for the intended root, ensure the path is traversable by the Apache service account, run apache2ctl configtest, and reload. Read the error log for the specific denied path instead of granting access to a parent such as /.
No index file is present
If every configured index candidate is missing, you may receive a forbidden response rather than a page. Check the directory contents and the effective DirectoryIndex. Do not enable public listings merely to hide the missing-file problem.
A proxy or browser is serving an old response
Use a fresh request and inspect headers. If the command-line request shows the new body but the browser does not, clear the relevant cache or investigate an intermediary. If both show the old page, return to virtual-host and document-root checks.
Configuration reload fails
Never continue after a failed syntax test. Read the reported file and line, correct the directive or path, rerun sudo apache2ctl configtest, and only then reload. A reload is not a repair for invalid configuration.
Choose between the default root and a custom root
| Decision point | Keep /var/www/html |
Use a custom DocumentRoot |
|---|---|---|
| File location | /var/www/html/index.html |
An explicit directory such as /srv/my-site/index.html |
| Virtual-host edit | Usually none for the packaged default site | Required in the active <VirtualHost> block |
| Directory permission work | Handled by the packaged site’s existing rules | May require a narrowly scoped <Directory> rule and filesystem access |
| Best fit | A single simple site or a quick replacement of the welcome page | Multiple sites, a separately managed deployment tree, or content intentionally kept outside the packaged root |
| Main risk | Assuming it is active when another host serves the hostname | Forgetting virtual-host selection or access permission |
In both setups, the same two rules decide the result: DocumentRoot maps the URL to a filesystem tree, and DirectoryIndex chooses the first matching filename in that directory.
Rollback safely
If the new page causes a problem, restore the backup to the same active root:
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Quick Recap
Operational checklist
- The request uses the hostname intended for the site.
- The selected virtual host’s
DocumentRootis known and contains the page. - The file is named exactly as the relevant
DirectoryIndexentry, including case. - Any earlier index candidate has been removed or intentionally retained.
- A custom root has an appropriate, narrowly scoped directory permission rule.
sudo apache2ctl configtestsucceeds after configuration edits.- Apache has been reloaded after configuration edits.
- A fresh request confirms the new response body, rather than relying on a cached tab.
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