Htaccess is an incredibly powerful file that your Apache server relies on in controlling the way that your site functions. The .htaccess file in WordPress is used to control the way that redirects, security, permalinks, and other aspects of your site are handled. Information regarding the .htaccess file will allow you to gain greater knowledge in the way that it secures as well as optimizes your site.
When you look at the files, in your WordPress installation you will see a file called .htaccess. This file does not have a name it only has an extension. If you open the file you will find a lot of code that looks confusing. The .htaccess file is a bit weird because it does not have a name, just the .htaccess extension.
I have been working as a developer for a long time. Let me tell you something about this file. This tiny file is really important for your WordPress. It is like the person who controls the traffic and the security guard for your website. The WordPress system does not even start until this tiny file does its job. The tiny file makes sure everything is okay, before WordPress loads.
This guide is about the file in WordPress. The .htaccess file in WordPress is something you should know about. You need to understand what .htaccess file in WordPress does. Why .htaccess file in WordPress is important. We will show you the WordPress .htaccess rules you can use now to make your WordPress site work better and be more secure. The .htaccess file, in WordPress can help your WordPress site.
What is the .htaccess File?
The term .htaccess is short for Hypertext Access. This .htaccess thing is really about controlling access, to websites. So when we talk about .htaccess we are talking about Hypertext Access.
This is a configuration file that Apache web servers use. Apache web servers are what most WordPress sites run on. The configuration file is, like a list of rules. The server reads these rules before it loads your WordPress site. The server looks at the configuration file to know what to do. The configuration file tells the Apache web server what rules to follow when it loads your WordPress site.
Why is it Important? (SEO, Security, & Speed)
You might be wondering, “If my site works fine why should I touch the WordPress .htaccess file?” The reason is that optimizing the WordPress .htaccess file is really important, for your site. Optimizing the WordPress .htaccess file can make a difference.
The WordPress .htaccess file is something you should pay attention to. Optimizing the WordPress .htaccess file is critical because it can affect how your site works.
SEO, which is Search Engine Optimization does a lot of things. It makes your links look nice and neat.
This is what I mean by nice and neat:
- Without SEO the links to your website would look something like wperrorfixer.com/?p=123.
- With SEO they look like wperrorfixer.com/website-maintenance-cost-in-us
- SEO also helps with something called 301 redirects.
- These redirects are really important when you move pages around on your website.
- They help your website keep its rankings on search engines like Google.
- So SEO and its 301 redirects are very important for your website.
- SEO is what makes all of this happen. It is very useful, for your website.
Security is really important. The system can block internet addresses. This means it can stop hackers from looking at the files on your computer. It can also stop them from seeing what is, in your folders. Additionally you can put a password on the folders that have information in them. This way the Security system can protect your directories.
Performance: This thing is really good, at handling Gzip compression and browser caching. So what does that mean? It means that when someone visits your site their browser will save the images. That way the images do not have to be downloaded every time the person visits your site. This makes your site load a lot faster. Your site will load faster because the browser already has the images saved.
The .htaccess file is really sensitive. If you miss one character or put a space in the place your whole website can go down. This means people will see a “500 Internal Server Error” when they try to visit your website. The .htaccess file is so sensitive that one little mistake can cause problems.
Before you edit anything:
Backup your website.
You should get a copy of your .htaccess file and save it on your computer. This way if .htaccess file causes some problems you can just upload the file and it will fix .htaccess file right away.
If you don’t feel comfortable working with server files, it’s usually safer to let someone who knows what they’re doing handle it for you. WP Error Fixer has the expertise to manage these settings securely and correctly.
Server files can be tricky, and even a small mistake can cause serious issues. That’s why it’s a good idea to let professionals like Wperrorifxer take care of your server files, so you can avoid risks and focus on your website with peace of mind.
The Default WordPress .htaccess Rule
When you go to your WordPress dashboard and then you click on Settings and then Permalinks and after that you click on the Save button WordPress will make this default code for you.
You should always see this block in your file. Do not delete it because this is default code generated by WordPress
# BEGIN WordPress
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization}]
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>
# END WordPress
All Possible Uses of the .htaccess File in WordPress Sites
Redirects & URL Management
301 Permanent Redirects: Redirect old URLs to new ones
Example: Redirect 301 /old-page/ /new-page/
Force www or Non-www:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www\.
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://www.%{HTTP_HOST}/$1 [R=301,L]
Force HTTPS (SSL):
Redirect all HTTP traffic to secure HTTPS.
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%$1 [R=301,L]
4 Safe & Essential .htaccess Rules for Beginners
You can put these rules above or, below the default WordPress block that is shown above. The WordPress block is the one that you see above. You can add the rules to it.
1. Force HTTPS (Redirect HTTP to HTTPS)
# Force HTTPS
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
</IfModule>
You have an SSL certificate installed on your website so you want to make sure that no one visits the version of your website. This is really important for the security of your WordPress site and for search engine optimization. Google will penalize your website if you do not use HTTPS, which’s the secure version of your website. Your WordPress site needs to be secure so using HTTPS is necessary, for WordPress security.
And you can add above code to force the secure lock icon
2. Protect Your wp-config.php File
The wp-config.php file has all the details about your database, like the name of your database, your username and your password. This file is really important, for your site. You can use the file to keep the wp-config.php file hidden from everyone.
Add this rule to prevent hackers from accessing it:
# Protect wp-config.php <Files wp-config.php> order allow,deny deny from all </Files>
You need to set the order to allow and then deny. This means that the allow rule comes first and then the deny rule follows. The order is set to allow, deny.
3. Disable Directory Browsing
If someone like a hacker or just a curious person types wperrorfixer.com/wp-content/uploads/ into their browser they can see all the files you have ever uploaded to your site. This is not good because it is a security risk, for wperrorfixer.com. When people can see all your files on wperrorfixer.com it is a problem.
To stop this and show a “403 Forbidden” error instead, add this single line:
Add this on top: Options -Indexes
4. Browser Caching (Speed Optimization)
WordPress speed can be improved in a way. When people visit your WordPress site their browsers store files such as CSS, Javascript and Images in their memory for an amount of time. This means that when they come back, to your WordPress site it will load faster for them because their browsers already have these WordPress files.
<IfModule mod_expires.c> ExpiresActive On ExpiresByType image/jpg "access plus 1 year" ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access plus 1 year" ExpiresByType image/gif "access plus 1 year" ExpiresByType image/png "access plus 1 year" ExpiresByType text/css "access plus 1 month" ExpiresByType application/pdf "access plus 1 month" ExpiresByType text/javascript "access plus 1 month" ExpiresByType application/javascript "access plus 1 month" ExpiresDefault "access plus 2 days" </IfModule>
Best Practices & Mistakes to Avoid
I am a developer. I see people mess up their websites all the time because of these simple mistakes:
Mistake number 1 is using intelligence or generators without checking if they work. You should not just. Paste complicated rules you found on a forum or AI Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini AI etc. This is a mistake because you do not know if the artificial intelligence or generators are going to work for you. Always test the intelligence or generators before you use them for something important.
Mistake number 2 is about formatting errors. Apache is really strict. If you forget to put a closing tag or if you leave a space where it does not belong the Apache website will crash. This is because Apache does not like it when things are not done correctly like when you miss a closing tag or when there is a space in the place. Apache is very particular, about formatting errors.
Mistake number 3 is about Multiple Redirect Loops. This happens when you have a plugin that handles SSL redirects. If you add the redirect code these two things might not work together. They can of fight each other. This can cause the website to not load properly. The Multiple Redirect Loops can be a problem, for the website.
When you need to make changes to your file it is an idea to use the File Manager that your hosting company gives you. You can also use a program called an FTP client like FileZilla. Do not try to edit the file using tools inside your WordPress dashboard. If you make a mistake with those tools you will not be able to get into your website. Always use your hosting File Manager or an FTP client, like FileZilla to edit the file.
The .htaccess file is really helpful. It can do a lot of things for you. You can add some rules to the .htaccess file and this will help to keep your database safe. The .htaccess file will also make sure that people use HTTPS when they visit your site.. The best part is that the .htaccess file can even make your site load faster. You do not need to add any plugins to your site for these things to happen the .htaccess file can do it all.
If you make changes, to this file and you get a 500 Internal Server Error do not worry. Just go to your file manager. Remove the new code that you just put in.
If you are stuck in a redirect loop or your site has crashed after an edit and you can’t fix it, reach out to a professional service like wperrorfixer. We specialize in untangling server conflicts and getting your WordPress site healthy, secure, and fast again.
