chmod 777 meaning

777 rwxrwxrwx

The owner, the group and everyone else can read, write and execute.

When to use 777

Nothing on a live server. Everyone (every account and every process) can read, change and run it. Fix permission errors with the right owner and 755/775 instead.

Everyone else can change these files. On shared hosting this lets other accounts or any compromised script modify them.

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)	7	rwx	Yes	Yes	Yes

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 777 folder
chmod -R 777 folder/
find folder/ -type d -exec chmod 777 {} +

In cPanel: File Manager → right-click → Change Permissions, and tick the boxes until the number shows 777.

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 777 mean?

Each digit is the sum of read (4), write (2) and execute (1), for the owner, the group and everyone else. 777 = 7 / 7 / 7, so the owner, the group and everyone else can read, write and execute (rwxrwxrwx).

Should I use 777 for files or for folders?

777 includes execute, which on a folder means "may open it". It suits folders and scripts; for ordinary files use the same number without execute (666).

How do I set 777 in cPanel?

In File Manager, right-click the file or folder, choose Change Permissions, and tick the boxes so the number shows 777. Over SSH: chmod 777 path (add -R to include everything inside a folder).