## AuthGroupFile

Syntax: AuthGroupFile filename
Context: directory, .htaccess
Override: AuthConfig
Status: Base
Module: mod_auth

The AuthGroupFile directive sets the name of a textual file containing the list of user groups for user authentication. Filename is the path to the group file. If it is not absolute (i.e., if it doesn't begin with a slash), it is treated as relative to the ServerRoot.

Each line of the group file contains a groupname followed by a colon, followed by the member usernames separated by spaces. Example:

> `mygroup: bob joe anne`

Note that searching large text files is very inefficient; AuthDBMGroupFile should be used instead.

Security: make sure that the AuthGroupFile is stored outside the document tree of the web-server; do not put it in the directory that it protects. Otherwise, clients will be able to download the AuthGroupFile.

See also AuthName, AuthType and AuthUserFile.