Set Magento 2 File Permissions Correctly

Magento 2 file permissions are one of the most common reasons why stores break after running setup:upgrade, setup:di:compile, or deploying static content. If permissions are wrong, Magento cannot write files, cache fails, and the site may show 500 errors. In this guide, you’ll learn how to set Magento 2 file permissions correctly for both single-user and multi-user servers.

Understanding Magento 2 File Permissions

Before fixing Magento file permissions, you need to understand three basic concepts in Linux:

• Owner – the user who owns the file
• Group – a group of users who share access
• Permission – read (r), write (w), execute (x)

Common permission values:

• 755 = owner can write, others can read
• 775 = owner and group can write
• 644 = file readable by all, writable by owner

Magento needs write access to some folders, but most of the system should stay read-only for security.

Magento File Permissions for Single-User Servers

A single-user setup means:

• SSH user = web server user (nginx/apache)

This is the simplest and safest model.

Recommended setup:

cd /var/www/magento
find . -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;
find . -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;
chmod +x bin/magento

chmod -R 775 var generated pub/static pub/media

Why this works:

• Core files stay protected
• Magento can write to:
  • var
  • generated
  • pub/static
  • pub/media

This setup prevents most Magento 2 file permissions issues.

Magento File Permissions for Multi-User Servers

Multi-user setup means:

• One user runs SSH commands
• Another user runs web server

This often causes permission denied errors.

Step 1: Create a shared group

sudo groupadd magento
sudo usermod -a -G magento www-data
sudo usermod -a -G magento youruser

Step 2: Change ownership

sudo chown -R youruser:magento /var/www/magento

Step 3: Set group permissions

find . -type d -exec chmod 775 {} \;
find . -type f -exec chmod 664 {} \;
chmod g+s .
chmod +x bin/magento

chmod -R 775 var generated pub/static pub/media

Now both users can write safely without breaking Magento 2 file permissions.

Recommended Magento File Permissions by Folder

Why Magento Breaks After setup:upgrade or setup:di:compile

Magento 2 file permissions often break because:

• Commands are run as a different user
• New files get wrong owner
• Web server cannot read/write them
• Result: 500 error, blank page, or admin down

Example:

• You run setup:di:compile as root
• Files become owned by root
• Web server cannot access them
• Site crashes

How to Fix Permission Errors Step by Step

1. Go to Magento root

2. Reset ownership

sudo chown -R youruser:magento /var/www/magento

3. Reset permissions

find . -type d -exec chmod 775 {} \;
find . -type f -exec chmod 664 {} \;
chmod -R 775 var generated pub/static pub/media
chmod +x bin/magento

4. Clear generated folders

rm -rf var/cache var/page_cache generated/*

5. Run Magento commands again

Security Tips for permission config

• Never use 777 in production
• Never run Magento as root
• Keep app/ and vendor/ read-only
• Only allow write access where needed
• Always fix permissions after deploy

Correct Magento file permissions protect your store from both errors and attacks.

Conclusion

Magento file permissions are critical for a stable and secure store. Most broken setups come from wrong ownership or permissions, especially after running setup:upgrade or setup:di:compile.

If your store feels unstable, don’t panic—our full Magento services team is ready to help you fix permission issues, improve performance, and grow your business. Explore all our services.

Set Magento 2 file permissions correctly from day one, and you’ll avoid many painful production issues later.