When creating a web page we must take into account some fundamental aspects. We are going to have to familiarize ourselves with some concepts that will be part of our day to day. For the servers to function properly it is necessary to have a correct configuration. In this article we are going to talk about what the .htaccess file is and how we can configure it.
What is the .htaccess file
First of all we are going to explain what the .htaccess file is . Its name comes from HyperText Access or Hypertext Access. It is a file that is present in the configuration of an Apache server. It is integrated into the software.
This file contains the directives that can define how an Apache server behaves. It serves to limit the actions of a visitor who enters that website. It allows you to configure it to indicate at all times what someone who enters can and what not. We can also configure it to respond to possible errors that may occur with the connection and to optimize the loading of pages on that website.
As we can see, it is a file that can be key to proper operation. It can affect the directory where it is placed , as well as the subdirectories that may exist. It will only act on them, so the interesting thing in this case is to place it in the main directory.
Therefore, we can say that a .htaccess file is the name of the file that we are going to use to configure directories on an Apache server. It allows us to customize the configuration of directives and the different parameters defined in it.
What is the .htaccess file for?
We have mentioned that the .htaccess file will allow us to configure the directories of an Apache server. We will be able to carry out some actions in a simple way and that will be applied in said directory where we have it. We are going to see some points to keep in mind.
- Website access control
- Redirect subdomains to subfolders
- Redirect using 301 or 302 (for example to enter without WWW)
- Protect access to folders
- Redirect to a secure HTTPS connection
- Enable direct link protection
- Block certain IP addresses
- Change the time zone of our website
- Avoid bots
For example, if we wanted to protect access to folders we would have to add the following to the .htaccess file:
# Prevent access to folders
deny from all
To protect the .htaccess file itself it would be:
# Prevent access to the .htaccess file
<files .htaccess>
order allow, deny
deny from all
</files>
In the case of wanting to block users or bots :
#Block access to certain IP addresses
Order deny, allow
Allow from All
Deny from XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX
Deny from XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX
As we can see, to put a comment we simply have to write # followed by what we want to add.
These are some changes and configurations that we can make through an .htaccess file. They are just a few that we have mentioned, but in reality the range of possibilities is very wide thanks to this file that we can include in the Apache server directories.
How to create an .htaccess file
Creating an .htaccess file is very simple. We will have to use any text editor or notepad . We have to create it as .txt. Keep in mind that our Apache server may already have a file of this type, so we simply have to modify it and add or remove what interests us.
If we do not have any .htaccess file in the directory where we are interested, we simply have to create one. As we have mentioned, we do not need any special programs. We just have to write in it the different parameters that interest us and save it with the name .htaccess . It should not have any kind of extension.
We have to upload that file that we have created to the directory that interests us on the Apache server. We have indicated that it will also affect all the subdirectories that are present where we have put it. Hence, if we want it to apply to all of them we will have to put it in the main directory.
If we have any .htaccess file already on our server, we can download it and thus save it as a backup in case of a problem. Once we have uploaded the new one, we can also configure it from that moment from there, without having to download it.
It should be noted that Apache applies the directives in order as it finds them. This means that a file in a directory will overwrite another possible file that we have in a subdirectory.