A password-protected directory or area is a folder that could be accessed when a username and a password are provided, so no unauthorized individuals may view its content. This option may be used for the main folder of a given Internet site or just for a certain subfolder based on the needs you have. As an example, when you are creating a new site and you don't want people to see it prior to it being completely ready, you need to prohibit the access to it entirely, whereas if you need only some people to be able to access particular files, you are able to password-protect only a certain folder, while the remainder of the site may be seen by everybody. Anyway, a “403 Forbidden” error page will appear in the event that the login details the visitor types in aren't accurate. Even a direct link to a file will not work as long as any folder above it is password-protected.
