What is the .htaccess file and what do I use it for?

karlkoeller

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I have some questions with .htaccess file, i used it more times on my hosting but I don't know what is the main purpose of using .htaccess file? What can you do with a .htaccess file and errors can be caused by the .htaccess file? does anyone explain me?

Thanks
Karl
 

LJSHost

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Hi Karlkoeller,

A .htaccess file allows each user on the server to have their own custom web server configuration.

you can do you many things with your .htaccess file including

Password protecting directories
Rewriting URL's
Setting default pages
Customize the Error pages for your site
Prevent directory listing
Enable server-side includes
 

fwh

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fwh
Other than that, I would add to your list

  • Custom Error documents
  • Redirects
  • Password protection
  • Deny visitors by IP address
  • Deny visitors by referrer
  • Hot link prevention techniques
  • Blocking offline browsers and 'bad bots'
  • DirectoryIndex uses
  • Adding MIME types
  • Enable SSI with .htaccess
  • Enable CGI outside of the cgi-bin
  • Disable directory listings
  • Setting server timezone
  • Changing server signature
  • Preventing access to your PHP includes files
  • Prevent access to php.ini
  • Forcing scripts to display as source code
  • Ensuring media files are downloaded instead of played
  • Setting up Associations for Encoded Files
  • Preventing requests with invalid characters

The most used functions I used in .htaccess file is redirect urls and adding rewrite rules, its really helpful for my websites.

Hope that helps!
 

VirtuBox

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.htaccess is an Apache configuration file. When you Apache open a folder to display your website to your visitor, it will read the .htaccess to apply the rules.
You can use .htaccess file to add a rule for apache.
 

nairprasad7

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.htaccess is short for Hypertext Access, and is a configuration file used by Apache-based web servers that controls the directory that it "lives" in--as well as all the subdirectories underneath that directory. Also helps to create Custom Error Pages for Better SEO.
 
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