# \_index.md utility

**URL:** <https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/index-md-utility/28559>\
**Category:** support\
**Created:** [September 29, 2020, 2:53am UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/index-md-utility/28559 "2020-09-29T02:53:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![hendry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.gohugo.io/hendry/32/7037_2.png) [@hendry](https://discourse.gohugo.io/u/hendry)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 2:53am UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/index-md-utility/28559/1 "2020-09-29T02:53:03Z")

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After reading [Relationship between \_index.md and index.html](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/relationship-between-index-md-and-index-html/9947) my take away is that you use \_index.md if you have front matter. But in my experience any markdown file can have markdown?

IIUC \_index.md is only useful… I think, for **list pages**?

I’m trying to document my understanding eventually here: [https://dabase.com/e/04066/](https://dabase.com/e/04066/)

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**Author:** ![pointyfar](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.gohugo.io/pointyfar/32/5797_2.png) [@pointyfar](https://discourse.gohugo.io/u/pointyfar)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 3:51am UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/index-md-utility/28559/2 "2020-09-29T03:51:48Z")

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> [@hendry](#):
>
> any markdown file can have markdown

I’m not quite sure I understand what your question is here.

You don’t **need** to have an `_index.md`: [Lists of content in Hugo | Hugo](https://gohugo.io/templates/lists/#list-pages-without-_indexmd)

> You do _not_ have to create an `_index.md` file for every list page (i.e. section, taxonomy, taxonomy terms, etc) or the homepage. If Hugo does not find an `_index.md` within the respective content section when rendering a list template, the page will be created but with no `{{.Content}}` and only the default values for `.Title` etc.

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**Author:** ![hendry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.gohugo.io/hendry/32/7037_2.png) [@hendry](https://discourse.gohugo.io/u/hendry)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 5:34am UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/index-md-utility/28559/3 "2020-09-29T05:34:31Z")

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Sorry any content/$name.md can be used with Frontmatter. As you point out [https://gohugo.io/templates/lists/#list-pages-without-\_indexmd](https://gohugo.io/templates/lists/#list-pages-without-_indexmd) is what I was missing.

If it’s optional I’m almost think, why have it? The confusion `_index.md` creates is quite something.

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**Author:** ![alexandros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@alexandros](https://discourse.gohugo.io/u/alexandros)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 5:49am UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/index-md-utility/28559/4 "2020-09-29T05:49:08Z")

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> [@hendry](#):
>
> why have it?

Sometimes one needs to enter meta data on a specific page list. `_index.md` makes this possible.

Also one can specify a [`cascade`](https://gohugo.io/content-management/front-matter#front-matter-cascade) for a specific section through the front matter of an `_index.md`.

These are just a few use cases.

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**Author:** ![hendry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.gohugo.io/hendry/32/7037_2.png) [@hendry](https://discourse.gohugo.io/u/hendry)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 4:16am UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/index-md-utility/28559/5 "2020-09-30T04:16:35Z")

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Well there must be a lot of pages like mine that sort of mix \_index.md (list) and actual index.md style content. I guess there is no harm, other than confusion.