# chmod 711 — What It Means & When to Use It

> Owner can do everything; others can only pass through. Symbolic: `rwx--x--x` · Safe when used as intended.

711 gives the owner full control and everyone else execute only. On a directory, execute without read means others can pass through to a path they already know — `~/public_html/index.html`, say — but can't list what's inside.

It's the classic home-directory mode for servers that publish per-user web folders.

## Permission by permission

| Who | Permissions |
|---|---|
| owner | read, write and execute |
| group | execute only |
| others | execute only |

Symbolic chmod argument: `u=rwx,g=x,o=x`

## Use it for

- Home directories that must let the web server reach `~/public_html` without exposing their contents.
- Parent directories of something that must be reachable by path.

## Avoid it for

- Files: execute without read rarely makes sense for scripts, since the interpreter needs to read them.
- If others don't need to pass through at all, use `700`.

## FAQ

### What does execute mean on a directory?

Permission to enter it and access entries by name. Read lets you list the names; execute lets you use them. 711 grants the second without the first.

## Related modes

- [chmod 700](https://www.devkult.com/chmod/700.md): Only the owner can read, write and execute
- [chmod 755](https://www.devkult.com/chmod/755.md): Owner can do everything; group and others can read and execute
- [chmod 750](https://www.devkult.com/chmod/750.md): Owner can do everything; group can read and execute; others have no access

Open the interactive page: https://www.devkult.com/chmod/711