Create .htaccess File

How to Create .htaccess File

.htaccess file is a configuration file for use on web servers running the Apache Web Server software. Using .htaccess file we can do following things;

• Block bots
• Block or Allow an IP
• Resolve Canonical Issue
• Prevent Directory Listing
• Prevent viewing of .htaccess file
• Manage Custom Error Pages (400, 404, 500, etc)
• Redirect File or Directory to specific URL
• Set default page to display when a directory is accessed

RewriteEngine on
rewritecond %{http_host} ^sitesbay.com [nc]
rewriterule ^(.*)$ http://sitesbay.com/$1 [r=301,nc]

RewriteEngine on
rewritecond %{http_host} ^sitesbay.com [nc]
rewriterule ^(.*)$ http://www.sitesbay.com/$1 [r=301,nc]

.htaccess: This file is mainly used for redirect url, to create this file you can create any file and save with .htaccess file name.

Note: You can also redirect using cpanel.

Custom Error Pages for Better SEO

One use of the .htaccess file is to redirect users to a custom error page depending on the specific web server error they encounter.

ErrorDocument 404 /filenotfound.html

//Custom 400 errors
ErrorDocument 400 /error400.html

//Custom 401 errors
ErrorDocument 401 /error401.html

//Custom 403 errors
ErrorDocument 403 /error403.html

//Custom 404 errors
ErrorDocument 404 /error404.html

//Custom 500 errors
ErrorDocument 500 /error500.html

If you wanted to redirect users for another error, such as 500, Internal Server Error, you would do it like this (and so on)

ErrorDocument 500 /filenotfound.html

DirectoryIndex Uses

Using directoryindex command we can specify a default page to display when a directory is accessed.

DirectoryIndex index.html index.cgi index.php

In above syntax, if there was no file named index.html in your directory, then the server would look for a file called index.cgi. If that file wasn't present, it would look for one called index.php, and so on.

Comment for Htaccess File

Use # for comment in htaccess file

# BLOCK SITE REFERRERS
RewriteEngine on
 RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} \<\?\=\$block_referrer\?\> [NC,OR]
 RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} http\://www\.studytonight\.com/ [NC,OR]
 RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} http\://www\.pinkduck\.ga/ [NC,OR]

Redirect All Files with Certain Extension

Redirect all .php extension file on .html file

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} .php$
RewriteRule ^(.*).php$ /$1.htm [R=301,L]

Redirect all .html Extension File on .php Extension File

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} .php$
RewriteRule ^(.*).htm$ /$1.php [R=301,L]

Redirect HTTPS non-www to HTTPS www using .htaccess

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www\. [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^(?:www\.)?(.+)$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^ https://www.%1%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L,NE]

For Read more about .htaccess file visit complete Htaccess File Tutorial