What is .htaccess File? and How to Use it?

The .htaccess file (Hypertext Access) is used by network servers like Apache to allow configuration changes for web domains. It enables you to make various modifications, permissions, and restrictions on your site. So, what exactly does .htaccess do? Let’s explore together in our blog post what the .htaccess file is and what it does!

What is .htaccess File?

With the help of a .htaccess file, you can, for example, add password protection to a folder and provide authorization. One of the best things about this file application is that you can create a .htaccess file for your own website without the need for any code knowledge.

What can be done with .htaccess File!

You can create SEO compatible link structure.
You can do hotlink blocking
You can hide files
You can edit error pages
You can set folder authorization limitation.
You can block enemy bots
You can configure WWW
You can perform security operations such as file encryption and password protection
You can block ip
You can do domain redirection
You can optimize your data by compressing it
You can create your care page
You can block spam.
You can detect and redirect iPhone and do many more operations.

How to Use the .htaccess File and Where to Find It?

You can access the .htaccess file via cPanel or FTP and make changes as you wish. The process of creating a new file for this is;

# BEGIN HTTPS Redirection
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/[0-9]+\..+\.cpaneldcv$
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/[A-F0-9]{32}\.txt(?:\ Comodo\ DCV)?$
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
</IfModule>
# END HTTPS Redirection

This file is located in the main document directory of the website. To view the file;

Log in to your cPanel administration panel,
Click on the file manager icon,
Check the “Show hidden files” option,
Select the document directory click the “go” button,
You can view and edit the .htaccess file under the public_html folder.

Impact of .htaccess File on SEO

1. 301 Redirects

301 redirects are actually permanent URL redirects. It does the job of redirecting web users and search engine bots to the pages you change. This way, search engines don’t have to crawl old and new web pages simultaneously, and you avoid potential content issues.

2. Dynamic URL – Static URL Redirects

For your URLs to be SEO-friendly, it is important that they are easy to read and understand when viewed, and that they are relevant to the content. If the URL structure is easy to read when you see it and you can understand that it is relevant to the content, it means that this URL has a structure that is compatible with SEO.

3. URL Problems

Your website’s home page should only open one URL, otherwise you may run into duplicate content issues. This may cause you negative SEO results.

4. 404 Pages

When users attempt to access pages you have removed from your website, they will encounter 404 error pages. It is crucial to properly create these error pages and correctly configure them in your .htaccess file. Failure to do so may result in incorrect redirects and negatively impact your SEO.