What is WEB-INF?

WEB-INF is a directory that forms part of the folder structure defining a web application. These folders can be found in Java applications and usually follow a common structure including the following files:

• Web.xml – this is an XML file called a deployment descriptor.
• Class files – usually packaged up in JARs

And the following folders:

• ‘lib’ (library) – these contain files that are automatically added to the classpath at runtime.
• ‘classes’ – files containing classes that are not packaged up in a JAR.