Nothing more than a config file used for Apache Server to moderate, add/remove the functionality, offered by the Apache Web Server. Once, I also wondered that ‘what is .htaccess?’ And Now I must say that it is a very important file if you have a website running on an Apache Web Server.
There are rules written in it which are coded to alter your Apache configuration. You can simply write it any text editor but before uploading it into the server, make sure that it must be in its proper format, (starting with a period “.” and should end with htaccess) don’t forget to remove any extension like .txt,.html or anything else.
What can .htaccess file do?
- Handle Error Documents
- Permanent or Temporary Redirects (301/302)
- Password Protection
- Restrict/Allow Particular IPs.
- Blocking Bad Hosts
- Enable SSI.
- Enable Caching.
- Setting Time Zone.
- Changing Server Signature.
- Force Scripts to display as Source Code
- Prevent Access ofini
- Blocking Offline Browsers
- Deny visitors by Referrer
- Increase Your Website Speed
- Change the Structure of URLs.
- Preventing Access of Your PHP files.
- Ensuring media files are downloaded instead of played