> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://kb.hosting.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Using skeleton files for customer account default content

> Learn how to use "skeleton" files to provide default content that is copied automatically to public_HTML and public_ftp directories. Just follow our guide!

This article describes how to use skeleton files to provide default content for new customer accounts.

## Using skeleton files

As a reseller, when you create a new customer account, its **public\_html** and **public\_ftp** directories are empty by default. Because there is no index file present, visitors to the new site receive a "403 Forbidden" error message.

However, there is a way to provide default content for every new account that you create in WebHost Manager. For example, you can create an *index.html* file that is copied to the **public\_html** directory of every new account. The HTML file might say "Welcome! Your site is working, but there is no content yet" or something similar. You can do the same thing for FTP, adding default files that are copied to every new account.

These default files are referred to as "skeleton" files, because they provide a basic structure for all new accounts.

To set up skeleton files for your reseller account, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your reseller cPanel account.

2. On the **Tools** page, in the **Files** section, click **File Manager**:\
   ![cPanel - File Manager icon (Jupiter theme)](https://static.hosting.com/kb/kb-cpanel-jupiter-file-manager-icon.png)

3. On the **File Manager** page, click the **Settings** button at the upper right.

4. Select the **Show Hidden Files (dotfiles)** checkbox and click **Save**.

5. In the file listing pane, double-click the **cpanel3-skel** directory.

6. There are two directories in the **cpanel3-skel** directory:

   * **public\_ftp**: Any files or directories that you create here are automatically copied to the **public\_ftp** directory of new accounts.

   * **public\_html**: Any files or directories that you create here are automatically copied to the **public\_html** directory of new accounts. For example, you can create a default *index.html* file that appears for all new accounts.

7. Log in to WebHost Manager and create a new account. The new account's **public\_html** and **public\_ftp** directories contain the files you added to the **cpanel3-skel** directory.

## Related articles

* [Managing WHM accounts](/docs/managing-whm-accounts)

* [Managing WHM packages](/docs/managing-whm-packages)