Apache .htaccess Generator

How it works

What it does

The .htaccess Generator assembles Apache directives from selected features: front-controller rewrites, HTTPS redirects, www/bare domain canonicalization, cache headers, compression, and denying sensitive paths. Output is a snippet you review before deploying.

When to use it

• Bootstrapping a PHP app on Apache with AllowOverride enabled
• Adding conservative hardening rules for dotfiles and backup paths
• Documenting redirects that must stay in version control

How input is processed safely

Feature flags become text. The tool does not modify Apache on this host for your domain and does not read other virtual hosts. You remain responsible for module availability (mod_rewrite, etc.) on your server.

Examples

• Front controller rewrite to index.php
• HTTP→HTTPS redirect with host preservation
• Deny access to .env and backup extensions

Common mistakes

• Enabling both www→bare and bare→www simultaneously
• Assuming .htaccess works identically behind Nginx-only stacks
• Shipping rules without testing on staging first

Apache .htaccess is convenient because it lives with the app, but it is evaluated per-request and depends on AllowOverride. Prefer vhost-level configuration when you control the server and want clearer performance characteristics.

Canonical host and HTTPS rules interact. Generate one redirect strategy, test the full chain (HTTP www → HTTPS bare, etc.), and avoid multi-hop redirect SEO penalties. Keep front-controller rewrites from capturing static assets incorrectly.

Hardening rules that deny backup and environment files are useful defaults, but they are not a complete security program. Application auth, updates, and least-privilege file permissions still matter more.

Practical tips

• Keep inputs small and representative; huge pastes slow feedback and raise risk of accidental secret disclosure.
• After using Apache .htaccess Generator, verify the result in your own environment (correct SAPI, correct host, correct project root).
• Cross-link findings to ZendStudio.net PHP error guides and IDE setup pages when the next step is configuration rather than code edits.
• Prefer repeatable project tooling (CI, Composer scripts, IDE inspections) for repo-wide enforcement; this page is for interactive problem-solving.

Privacy note

Generated files should not contain secrets. Keep auth credentials in server config or environment managers, not in public rewrite rules.

Safety notes

• Submitted tool contents are not written to analytics or search logs.
• This site never evaluates arbitrary PHP from the browser.
• Generated configs are starting points—validate on a staging host before production.