[asp.net] How to set the Default Page in ASP.NET?

Is there any section or code which allows us to set default page in web.config?

For example, when people first visit my website, I want them to see CreateThing.aspx rather than Default.aspx.

The solutions I already know:

1. Put this line of code => Response.Redirect("CreateThings.aspx") in Default.aspx Page_Load event but this method is really naive.

2. We can use IIS (default page configuration,) but I wanna do the same thing over on my ASP.NET application.

3. This could be another solution for now:

   <defaultDocument>
       <files>
           <clear />
           <add value="Default.aspx" />
           <add value="Default.htm" />
           <add value="Default.asp" />
           <add value="index.htm" />
           <add value="index.html" />
           <add value="iisstart.htm" />
       </files>
   </defaultDocument>
   

I prefer using the following method:

system.webServer>
  <defaultDocument>
    <files>
      <clear />
      <add value="CreateThing.aspx" />
    </files>
  </defaultDocument>
</system.webServer>

Map default.aspx as HttpHandler route and redirect to CreateThings.aspx from within the HttpHandler.

<add verb="GET" path="default.aspx" type="RedirectHandler"/>

Make sure Default.aspx does not exists physically at your application root. If it exists physically the HttpHandler will not be given any chance to execute. Physical file overrides HttpHandler mapping.

Moreover you can re-use this for pages other than default.aspx.

<add verb="GET" path="index.aspx" type="RedirectHandler"/>

//RedirectHandler.cs in your App_Code

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;

/// <summary>
/// Summary description for RedirectHandler
/// </summary>
public class RedirectHandler : IHttpHandler
{
    public RedirectHandler()
    {
        //
        // TODO: Add constructor logic here
        //
    }

    #region IHttpHandler Members

    public bool IsReusable
    {
        get { return true; }
    }

    public void ProcessRequest(HttpContext context)
    {
        context.Response.Redirect("CreateThings.aspx");
        context.Response.End();
    }

    #endregion
}

If you are using forms authentication you could try the code below:

<authentication mode="Forms">
<forms name=".FORM" loginUrl="Login.aspx" defaultUrl="CreateThings.aspx" protection="All" timeout="30" path="/"> 
</forms>
</authentication>

You can override the IIS default document setting using the web.config

<system.webServer>
    <defaultDocument>
      <files>
        <clear />
        <add value="DefaultPageToBeSet.aspx" />
      </files>
    </defaultDocument>
  </system.webServer>

Or using the IIS, refer the link for reference http://www.iis.net/configreference/system.webserver/defaultdocument

I had done all the above solutions but it did not work.

My default page wasn't an aspx page, it was an html page.

This article solved the problem. https://weblog.west-wind.com/posts/2013/aug/15/iis-default-documents-vs-aspnet-mvc-routes

Basically, in my \App_Start\RouteConfig.cs file, I had to add a line:

public static void RegisterRoutes(RouteCollection routes)
{
    routes.IgnoreRoute("{resource}.axd/{*pathInfo}");
    routes.IgnoreRoute("");   // This was the line I had to add here!

    routes.MapRoute(
        name: "Default",
        url: "{controller}/{action}/{id}",
        defaults: new { controller = "Home", action = "Index", id = UrlParameter.Optional }
    );
}

Hope this helps someone, it took me a goodly while to find the answer.

Tip #84: Did you know… How to set a Start page for your Web Site in Visual Web Developer?

Simply right click on the page you want to be the start page and say "set as start page".

As noted in the comment below by Adam Tuliper - MSFT, this only works for debugging, not deployment.

if you are using login page in your website go to web.config file

<authentication mode="Forms">
  <forms loginUrl="login.aspx" defaultUrl="index.aspx"  >
    </forms>
</authentication>

replace your authentication tag to above (where index.aspx will be your startup page)

and one more thing write this in your web.config file inside

<configuration>
   <system.webServer>
   <defaultDocument>
    <files>
     <clear />
     <add value="index.aspx" />
    </files>
  </defaultDocument>
  </system.webServer>

  <location path="index.aspx">
    <system.web>
      <authorization>
        <allow users="*" />
      </authorization>
   </system.web>
  </location>
</configuration>