Default Index File Not Loading in PHP

When setting up a PHP website, encountering the error "forbidden" while accessing the website's root directory can be frustrating. This issue typically occurs when the server is not configured to recognize the index.php file as the default index file.

Solution:

To rectify this issue, Apache requires configuration to identify index.php as an index file.

Steps:

1. Create an .htaccess File: Create a file named ".htaccess" in your website's root directory.

2. Add DirectoryIndex Directive: Within the .htaccess file, add the following line:

   DirectoryIndex index.php

This directive instructs Apache to list index.php as an index file, which will be loaded by default when visitors access the root directory of your website.

Note:

Ensure that Apache is configured to allow .htaccess files. If not, modify the settings in Apache's configuration file (httpd.conf) to enable it.

By completing these steps, Apache will recognize and load index.php by default when visitors access your website, eliminating the "forbidden" error.