They are darkly colored, ranging from black to brown, with a glossy carapace covering the front part of the body.

Their moderately long posterior spinnerets and other features make the Hexathelidae appear similar to the Dipluridae, and were considered a subfamily of the latter until 1980.

A molecular phylogenetic study in 2018 showed that Hexathelidae, as then circumscribed, was not monophyletic and hence split off genera into the new families Atracidae, Macrothelidae and Porrhothelidae.

They frequently search for a place to nest under human dwellings, or under nearby rocks, logs, or other similar objects.

In Australia, these spiders tend to prefer cooler climates, hence they are found primarily in rain forests.