# How to Configure Service Discovery URL for Apple User Enrollment Using Windows IIS Server?

Last updated: July 24, 2026

This guide explains how to configure the .well-known directory on a Windows IIS server so Apple devices can discover the MDM service for Apple User Enrollment. It covers creating a well-known folder and a com.apple.remotemanagement file containing the downloaded ServiceDiscoveryData.json content, mapping it to a .well-known virtual directory, and adding a custom MIME type so the file is served with the application/json content type, followed by verifying the URL and troubleshooting access issues.

To enable Apple User Enrollment in MDM, configuring the .well-known directory is essential for Remote Management. This directory contains files required by Apple devices for discovery and enrollment. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for setting up the **.well-known folder and configuring a custom MIME type on a Windows IIS server**.

## Steps

- [Setting Up the .well-known Directory](https://www.manageengine.com/mobile-device-management/how-to/setup-wellknown-folder.html#setting)
- [Creating a Custom MIME Type](https://www.manageengine.com/mobile-device-management/how-to/setup-wellknown-folder.html#creating)

## Setting Up the .well-known Directory

In this section, we will create a .well-known directory and a com.apple.remotemanagement file containing MDM server information. This file allows Apple devices to discover and enroll via Apple User Enrollment.

**Step 1: Access the Root Directory**

- Open **IIS Manager**.
- Select the site where your domain is hosted.
- Click **Explore** to open the root directory of the site.

**Step 2: Create the Directory and File**

- Create a new directory named **well-known** (Windows does not allow directory names starting with ., so we use well-known).
- Inside the well-known directory, create a file named **com.apple.remotemanagement**.
- Copy the contents of the **ServiceDiscoveryData.json** file (downloaded from the MDM server for Apple User Enrollment) into the com.apple.remotemanagement file.

![How to Configure Service Discovery URL for Apple User Enrollment Using Windows IIS Server? illustration 3](https://cdn.manageengine.com/mobile-device-management/help/images/mdm_aue_well1.png)

![How to Configure Service Discovery URL for Apple User Enrollment Using Windows IIS Server? illustration 4](https://cdn.manageengine.com/mobile-device-management/help/images/mdm_aue_well2.png)

**Step 3: Add a Virtual Directory**

Since Windows does not allow directory names starting with ., we will create a virtual directory to map HTTP requests for .well-known to the well-known directory.

- In **IIS Manager**, select the site where your domain is hosted.
- Click **View Virtual Directories**.
- Click **Add Virtual Directory**
  - **Alias:** .well-known
  - **Physical Path:** Map this to the location of the **well-known** directory created earlier.
- Click OK to save the virtual directory.

![How to Configure Service Discovery URL for Apple User Enrollment Using Windows IIS Server? illustration 5](https://cdn.manageengine.com/mobile-device-management/help/images/mdm_aue_well3.png)

![How to Configure Service Discovery URL for Apple User Enrollment Using Windows IIS Server? illustration 6](https://cdn.manageengine.com/mobile-device-management/help/images/mdm_aue_well4.png)

## Creating a Custom MIME Type

Apple devices expect the HTTP response for the **com.apple.remotemanagement** file to have the **Content-Type** header set to **application/json**. To configure this on the IIS server, follow these steps:

**Step 1: Add a Custom MIME Type**

- In **IIS Manager**, select the site where your domain is hosted.
- Click MIME Types.
- Click Add to create a new MIME type.
  - Extension: .remotemanagement
  - MIME Type: application/json
- Click OK to save the MIME type.

![How to Configure Service Discovery URL for Apple User Enrollment Using Windows IIS Server? illustration 7](https://cdn.manageengine.com/mobile-device-management/help/images/mdm_aue_well5.png)

![How to Configure Service Discovery URL for Apple User Enrollment Using Windows IIS Server? illustration 8](https://cdn.manageengine.com/mobile-device-management/help/images/mdm_aue_well6.png)

## Verification

After completing the above steps, verify the configuration by accessing the following URL in a browser or using a tool like curl:

**https://{your-domain}/.well-known/com.apple.remotemanagement**

Ensure that:

1. The file is accessible.
2. The **Content-Type** header in the response is **application/json**.

## Troubleshooting

- If the file is not accessible, double-check the virtual directory configuration and ensure the well-known directory and com.apple.remotemanagement file are correctly placed.
- If the Content-Type header is incorrect, verify the MIME type configuration in IIS.

For more details, visit our [Apple User Enrollment Guide](https://www.manageengine.com/mobile-device-management/help/enrollment/mdm_apple_user_enrollment.html#steps_to_enroll).

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Why do I need to set up a .well-known directory on my IIS server?

Apple devices use the .well-known directory to discover the MDM service for Apple User Enrollment - it must contain a com.apple.remotemanagement file with your ServiceDiscoveryData.json content.

### How do I create the .well-known directory on Windows, since directory names can't start with a period?

Create a regular folder named well-known containing the com.apple.remotemanagement file, then add a virtual directory in IIS with the alias .well-known mapped to that folder's physical path.

### Why do I need to configure a custom MIME type for this file?

Apple devices expect the com.apple.remotemanagement file to be served with a Content-Type of application/json, so you must add a custom MIME type in IIS for the .remotemanagement extension mapped to application/json.

### How do I verify the setup worked?

Access https://{your-domain}/.well-known/com.apple.remotemanagement in a browser or with curl, and confirm the file is accessible and its Content-Type header is application/json.