Have you recently changed your domain name servers and suddenly noticed an “Index Of” error when visiting your website? Don’t worry — this is a fairly common issue, especially when setting up a new WordPress website or moving your website to a new server.
In many cases, the “Index Of” error is related to a 403 Forbidden error, which means the server is refusing access to the website files or is unable to find the correct WordPress installation.
Why Does the “Index Of” Error Happen?
One of the most common reasons for this problem is an incomplete WordPress installation. This can happen if WordPress was not installed correctly, the installation was interrupted, or some files were not uploaded properly to your hosting account.
After changing your domain name servers, your domain starts pointing to the new server. If the WordPress installation on that server is incomplete or incorrectly configured, your website may display an Index Of page, a 403 Forbidden error, or another server-related error instead of your normal WordPress website.
Fortunately, this problem can usually be fixed quite quickly.
How To Fix the Index Of Error
The easiest solution is to check your hosting account and make sure you have a complete WordPress installation in the correct website directory.
If there is an incomplete WordPress installation, you may need to remove the old or incomplete files and install WordPress again. Before deleting anything, make sure you don’t have any important website files or content that you need to keep.
Once you have removed the incomplete installation, install a fresh copy of WordPress through your hosting control panel. After the installation is complete, make sure your domain is pointing to the correct server and then try loading your website again.
In most cases, a fresh and complete WordPress installation will resolve the issue.
Watch the Video Tutorial
If you’re experiencing an “Index Of” error on a new WordPress website, I’ve created a quick video tutorial showing exactly how to fix it.
In the video, I walk you through checking for incomplete WordPress installations, removing them when necessary, and installing WordPress again so your website can load correctly.