What is an .htaccess file?

An htaccess file is a powerful Apache configuration file that can control how a site or specific directory is accessed or how it functions. It essentially overwrites the global default settings of the Apache web server. For more info see the Apache Tutorial on .htaccess files.

An .htaccess file can easily be created with an external text/html editor and then uploaded via FTP. Make sure that it is created in or uploaded to the directory that you want to control. If you are using an .htaccess file to control the entire site, then you’ll need to create it in or upload it into your public directory.

The “.” at the beginning of the .htaccess file makes it an invisible system file for security purposes, so if you upload it via FTP, it will not show up in the directory listing of your FTP program unless your FTP has a feature that allows you to view hidden files (most FTP programs have this option). If you need to make changes, just upload a new version and have it overwrite the existing file.

Please note that some scripts (for example Drupal) can use .htaccess rewrite rules in order to create ‘clean’ URLs. These will in some cases not work by default in the Cloud environment. This can be fixed by using the statement before any rewrite rules:

RewriteBase /