How to Fix Permission Denied Errors in cPanel With One PHP Script

Facing “Permission Denied” errors? Use this simple PHP script to recursively change folder permissions via cPanel. Includes safe permission levels, examples, and troubleshooting tips.

<?php

// Change folder permissions recursively

function chmod_r($path, $perm) {

    if (!file_exists($path)) {

        echo "Path does not exist: $path";

        return false;

    }

    // Apply permission

    chmod($path, $perm);

    if (is_dir($path)) {

        $items = scandir($path);

        foreach ($items as $item) {

            if ($item !== '.' && $item !== '..') {

                $fullPath = $path . '/' . $item;

                chmod_r($fullPath, $perm);

            }

        }

    }

    return true;

}

// Example usage

$target_folder = '/home/username/public_html/yourfolder'; // change this

$permission = 0755; // or 0777

chmod_r($target_folder, $permission);

echo "Permissions updated successfully!";

?>