What is .htaccess?

Using .htaccess files lets you control the behavior of your site or a specific directory on your site. For example, if you place a .htaccess file in your root directory, it will affect your entire site (www.coolexample.com). If you place it in a /content directory, it will only affect that directory (www.coolexample.com/content).

.htaccess works on all of our Linux hosting accounts.

Some examples of what a .htaccess file can be used for are:

• Customize the error pages for your site
• Protect your site with a password
• Enable server-side includes
• Deny access to your site based on IP
• Change the default page (index.html) that is loaded for your site
• Redirect visitors to another page
• Prevent directory listing
• Add MIME types

A .htaccess file is a simple text file with the name .htaccess. It is not a file extension like .html or .txt, as the entire file name is .htaccess. For more information on how to set up .htaccess files, visit Apache's website.

Note: Make sure you create a .htaccess file using a plain text editor that doesn't use word wrap. Some editors (such as MS Word or Notepad with word wrap enabled) will insert invisible characters to signify a line break. Your .htaccess file will not work if it has these special characters in it.