chmod 770 meaning

770 rwxrwx---

The owner and the group can read, write and execute; everyone else can do nothing.

When to use 770

Private shared folders: owner and group work in them, everyone else is locked out.

Your group can change these files. Fine when the group is you and the web server; check who else is in it.

What each digit allows

Read = 4, write = 2, execute = 1. Each digit is the sum for one group of users.

Who	Digit	Symbolic	Read	Write	Execute
Owner (u)	7	rwx	Yes	Yes	Yes
Group (g)	7	rwx	Yes	Yes	Yes
Others (o)	0	---	No	No	No

On a folder, read lists its contents, write adds or deletes files in it, and execute lets you open it (cd into it).

Commands

One file or folder, a folder with everything inside it, or only the folders inside a folder:

chmod 770 folder
chmod -R 770 folder/
find folder/ -type d -exec chmod 770 {} +

In cPanel: File Manager → right-click → Change Permissions, and tick the boxes until the number shows 770.

Try other permissions

Tick or untick the boxes to see the number, the symbolic form and the command.

	Read	Write	Execute
Owner
Group
Everyone else

Special bits (setuid, setgid, sticky)

setuid setgid sticky

Common values

Octal

Symbolic

Command

-R

Compare

Frequently asked questions

What does chmod 770 mean?

Each digit is the sum of read (4), write (2) and execute (1), for the owner, the group and everyone else. 770 = 7 / 7 / 0, so the owner and the group can read, write and execute; everyone else can do nothing (rwxrwx---).

Should I use 770 for files or for folders?

770 includes execute, which on a folder means "may open it". It suits folders and scripts; for ordinary files use the same number without execute (660).

How do I set 770 in cPanel?

In File Manager, right-click the file or folder, choose Change Permissions, and tick the boxes so the number shows 770. Over SSH: chmod 770 path (add -R to include everything inside a folder).