Title: WordPress Directory Structure Last modified: August 19, 2016 --- # WordPress Directory Structure * Resolved [lawloretienne](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lawloretienne/) * (@lawloretienne) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-directory-structure/) * So i have been trying to familiarize myself with the directories in a wordpress application. It seems that there are some duplicate directories. I assume this is intentional but i am curious why this is. Can anyone give a brief description of what is in some of the root level directories? Some of the duplicate directories are in home and home2 and also lib and lib64. Thanks. Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total) * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-directory-structure/#post-2042980) * You may find this helpful: [http://www.howtospoter.com/web-20/wordpress/wordpress-guide-dissection-of-file-structure](http://www.howtospoter.com/web-20/wordpress/wordpress-guide-dissection-of-file-structure) * There are only THREE top level folders, though. * wp-content (where themes, plugins and uploaded files live) wp-admin (where all admin tools live) wp-includes (where the code that runs it all lives) * Thread Starter [lawloretienne](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lawloretienne/) * (@lawloretienne) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-directory-structure/#post-2043078) * That guide is very helpful. I was confused with how my hosting service’s directory hierarchy. Most directories are shared on the server. The only directory that is specific to wordpress is /home2/public_html which contains those top level folders: * wp-content (where themes, plugins and uploaded files live) wp-admin (where all admin tools live) wp-includes (where the code that runs it all lives) * Thanks for the speedy response. I hope this can help clear the confusion for some other devs new to WordPress. * [Dean Moore](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dean-moore/) * (@dean-moore) * [15 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-directory-structure/#post-2043118) * Does that image change with the Hosting company? * Thread Starter [lawloretienne](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lawloretienne/) * (@lawloretienne) * [15 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-directory-structure/#post-2043119) * Oh just to clarify the duplicate directories are really just one directory with a symbolic link to another directory. Some hosting companies decide to use symbolic links with the shared directories in an effort to reorder the file system hierarchy. I’m not quite sure what you mean Dean by the image? If you are talking about the WordPress file structure, i think it is the same independent of what hosting company you use. * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [15 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-directory-structure/#post-2043120) * > Does that image change with the Hosting company? * It’s not supposed to. ONE host I know does rename wp-content, and I want to kick them for it. * Every install of WP should look the same with the basic files/folders. * [Dean Moore](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dean-moore/) * (@dean-moore) * [15 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-directory-structure/#post-2043121) * @ lawloretienne – What I mean is according to the link above the image that link takes me to. I have had problems with the WordPress install and than using plugins that seem to be alright and then when I get an upgrade from WordPress all of a sudden plugiins act really strange. I have had the support team relaod WP software for me but when I looked at the directory files according to the image posted here I have duplicate pulic_html links and wp files under those links as well and I believe this is causing a conflict. What ever I do the set up does not work. I am not sure what is happening. I hope I explained that correctly. * @ Ipstenu – “Every install of WP should look the same with the basic files/folders.” * That is what I want to clarify and be sure of because then I can go back to my cpanel and delete the duplicate files. * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [15 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-directory-structure/#post-2043122) * I would say this: If you do not know FOR SURE what you are deleting, DON’T 😀 * > I have had the support team relaod WP software for me but when I looked at > the directory files according to the image posted here I have duplicate pulic_html > links and wp files under those links as well and I believe this is causing > a conflict. * That seems odd. I mean, you can’t have two files/folders with the same name in the same location. That’s impossible. * You MIGHT have a public_html and a www folder in the same location, but DO NOT delete that! One is an alias for the other! * [Dean Moore](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dean-moore/) * (@dean-moore) * [15 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-directory-structure/#post-2043123) * Ipstenu * Trust me when I say there are two public_html folders actually three. One had a big bllue ball like icon on it and that is the original but the other two are just file folders. * That is why I believe I need to delete them. * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [15 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-directory-structure/#post-2043124) * I would ask my host (or go in via SSH and look and see what KIND of file/folder it is) before deleting. Or take a REALLY good backup. * [Dean Moore](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dean-moore/) * (@dean-moore) * [15 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-directory-structure/#post-2043125) * Ipstenu * It is a duplicate of the original in part. That is what I have found thanks. Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total) The topic ‘WordPress Directory Structure’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [directories](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/directories/) * [duplicate](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/duplicate/) * [structure](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/structure/) * In: [Everything else WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/miscellaneous/) * 10 replies * 3 participants * Last reply from: [Dean Moore](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dean-moore/) * Last activity: [15 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-directory-structure/#post-2043125) * Status: resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics