Dir2HTML: Generate Static Directory Listings in Seconds

Fast Directory-to-HTML with Dir2HTML — A Practical Guide

What Dir2HTML is

Dir2HTML is a small utility that converts a filesystem directory (and its subdirectories) into a static HTML listing — useful for generating browsable indexes, static site file maps, or quick archives of a project’s file structure.

Key features

• Recursive directory traversal producing nested HTML lists or tables
• Customizable templates for controlling look and metadata shown (size, mtime, permissions)
• Filters and glob patterns to include/exclude files or file types
• Link generation that preserves relative paths for use on static sites or local file shares
• Lightweight and scriptable so it can be integrated into build scripts or CI pipelines

Typical usage (example workflow)

1. Choose the root directory to publish (e.g., ./public or ./dist).
2. Configure options: recursion depth, show hidden files, sort order (name/size/date), template path.
3. Run Dir2HTML to produce an index.html (or multiple index files for subdirectories).
4. Inspect and optionally tweak the template/CSS.
5. Deploy the generated HTML alongside your static site or copy into a file share.

Common options to set

• –recursive / -r: include subdirectories
• –template PATH: use a custom HTML template
• –exclude PATTERN: skip files matching pattern
• –sort [name|size|date]: control listing order
• –show-size / –show-mtime: toggle extra columns

Tips for customization

• Use a template with placeholders for file name, relative URL, size, and modification time.
• Add CSS to make long filenames wrap and to visually collapse deep directory trees.
• Generate per-directory index.html files so links work on GitHub Pages or simple web servers.
• Preprocess filenames (e.g., replace underscores, add human-readable sizes) via a small wrapper script.

When to use Dir2HTML

• Publishing a simple, static file index without running a full CMS.
• Creating downloadable archives or project documentation snapshots.
• Building lightweight file browsers for intranets or static hosting.

(Date: February 5, 2026)