How to Set a Custom File as Your Homepage
Want to use a different file as your website's homepage instead of the usual index.html? It's easier than you might think! This guide will walk you through the process of how to set a custom file as your homepage by making a quick edit to your .htaccess file in your Bluehost cPanel.
This article will show you how you can use a file other than the index.html as your home page.
Locating the .htaccess file in the File Manager
- Login to your Account via Bluehost Account Manager.
- Click the Hosting tab from the side navigation menu to the left.
- Scroll down to click the CPANEL button under Quick Links.
- Under the File section, click the File Manager icon.
- Look for the Settings button, located towards the upper right corner of your screen.
- From here, click the Preferences popup, then toggle the radio button for "Show Hidden Files (dotfiles)".
- Scroll to locate the .htaccess file from the list.
- Right-click on the file, then click on Edit from the menu.
- A dialogue box may appear asking you about encoding; just click on the Edit button to continue. The editor will open in a new window.
Modifying the .htaccess File to Set a Custom Homepage
In the .htaccess file, you will need to change the directory index file. To do this simply add one of the following codes in the file:
- Using Home.htm:
DirectoryIndex home.htm index3.php index.htm index.html default.htm - Using Welcome.html:
DirectoryIndex Welcome.html index.htm index.html default.html - Using Index.html:
DirectoryIndex Index.html home.htm index.htm index.html default.htm
For more information, you may visit this article .htaccess Tutorial.
Summary
By customizing the .htaccess file, you can set any file as your default homepage instead of index.html. This flexibility allows for more control over your website’s structure and user experience, especially when using unique homepage formats.
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You may also refer to our Knowledge Base articles to help answer common questions and guide you through various setup, configuration, and troubleshooting steps.