.DS_Store File: A Gift for Researchers and a Headache for Website Owners

.DS_Store (Desktop Services Store) is a hidden file created by the macOS operating system to store metadata about a folder. It is used by Finder to save settings like icon positions, sorting order, view type (icons, list, etc.), folder background, and other interface preferences.

The information presented in this article is based on my personal experience and practical observations. However, the format and content of the .DS_Store file might have changed over time. Previously, this file could include information about nested directories and files. However, as clarified by experts, in current macOS versions, this is no longer the case. Nonetheless, in certain situations, .DS_Store can still be useful for investigating website structures.

.DS_Store is automatically created by Finder in any folder accessed through the macOS graphical interface. This applies to both local directories and remote ones (e.g., via SMB, FTP, or WebDAV).