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.htaccess Generator

Generate .htaccess configuration files for Apache web servers

Web Dev Tools
Tip: Select the options you need and click Generate. Or upload an existing .htaccess to auto-detect settings.
Drop existing .htaccess here or click to browse
Auto-detects settings from your file

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What the htaccess generator does

An .htaccess file is a per-directory configuration file for the Apache HTTP Server. When Apache serves a request, it reads any .htaccess file in the target directory and applies the directives inside, controlling redirects, rewrites, caching, compression, and access rules for that folder and its children.

This tool builds that file for you. You pick rules from a visual list, toggle each one on, and the matching Apache directives are written into an output area. There is no need to remember exact directive syntax or the correct order of flags.

How the builder assembles your config

Each rule you enable maps to a block of Apache directives. A redirect rule writes a Redirect or RewriteRule line with the status code you choose. A security header rule adds a Header set directive for values like X-Frame-Options or X-Content-Type-Options . Caching and compression rules write the relevant mod_expires and mod_deflate blocks.

All of this runs in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing you type gets sent anywhere, so the configuration stays on your machine. As you flip switches and fill in fields, the output text updates in place.

Steps to generate an .htaccess file

  1. Open the tool under Web Dev Tools, listed as ".htaccess Generator".
  2. Browse the rule categories: redirects, security, caching, compression, and more.
  3. Toggle the rules you want using the on/off switches.
  4. Fill in any parameters a rule needs, such as the source and target URL for a redirect.
  5. Watch the generated .htaccess content build in the output area.
  6. Click "Copy" to place the text on your clipboard, or "Download" to save it as an .htaccess file.

Test the result on a staging server before you push it to production. A stray directive can return a 500 error for a whole directory, so a dry run catches mistakes early.

Rules you can add

The categories cover the directives most sites need. Instead of copying snippets from scattered forum posts, you select what applies and read the full file in one place.

  • Redirects: send visitors from an old path to a new one, using a 301 permanent or 302 temporary status.
  • Rewrites: transform a requested URL server-side without changing the address shown in the browser.
  • Security headers: add response headers such as X-Frame-Options , X-Content-Type-Options , and Content-Security-Policy .
  • Caching: set expiry times so browsers hold static files locally.
  • Compression: shrink text responses before they leave the server.

When to reach for this tool

Apache reads .htaccess on every matching request, which makes it the place to handle directory-level behavior on shared hosting where you cannot edit the main server config. Use the builder when you need any of the following:

  • Moving pages and needing clean 301 redirects that preserve link value.
  • Adding baseline security headers to an existing site.
  • Setting cache lifetimes for images, CSS, and scripts.
  • Enabling text compression to reduce response size.

The output targets the Apache HTTP Server only. The directives do not apply to Nginx, Caddy, or other web servers, which use different config formats. If you also work with encoded data or stylesheets, the CSS minifier and Base64 image encoder sit alongside this one in the toolset.

A sample generated block

Here is the kind of output a redirect plus a security header produces. You can copy it as is or keep adding rules until the file matches your needs. 

Redirect 301 /old-page /new-page
Header set X-Frame-Options "SAMEORIGIN"
Header set X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff"

FAQ

It is a configuration file the Apache HTTP Server reads for a specific directory. When a request comes in, Apache checks the folder for an .htaccess file and applies its directives before serving the response. That lets you control redirects, caching, compression, and access rules without touching the main server config, which is useful on shared hosting.

Each switch you turn on maps to a block of Apache directives. The tool writes those lines into the output area and updates the text every time you change a toggle or a field. A redirect rule produces a Redirect line with your chosen status code, while a header rule produces a Header set line. The assembly runs in your browser.

No. Generation is fully local. The JavaScript that reads your toggles and writes the directives runs in your browser, and no configuration data leaves your machine. That means URLs, header values, and any other parameters you enter stay on your device from the moment you type them to the moment you copy or download the file.

A redirect returns a status code (301 or 302) that tells the browser to request a new URL, so the address bar changes. A rewrite uses mod_rewrite to map a requested URL to a different internal path on the server, and the address bar stays the same. Redirects move users; rewrites reshape URLs behind the scenes.

This tool focuses on .htaccess directives, not password files. An htpasswd generator produces the separate credentials file that stores usernames and hashed passwords for basic authentication. The .htaccess file then points to that credentials file. You would build the directive here and pair it with a password file generated elsewhere.

No. The generated rules are Apache directives and only the Apache HTTP Server reads .htaccess files. Nginx and Caddy use their own configuration formats and syntax, so pasting these directives into them will not work. If your host runs one of those servers, you will need config written for that specific server instead.

The security category includes response headers such as X-Frame-Options , which limits framing of your pages, X-Content-Type-Options , which stops content type guessing, and Content-Security-Policy , which restricts where resources may load from. Each toggle writes a Header set directive so Apache attaches the header to every response from that directory.

Apache applies .htaccess on every request in the directory. If a directive references a module that is not enabled, or has a typo, the server can return a 500 error for the whole folder. A staging server lets you confirm the rules load and behave as expected before real visitors hit them, so a broken line never reaches production.

Save the output as a file named .htaccess with no extension, then upload it to the directory you want to affect. Apache reads it for that folder and every folder below it. Placing it in the site root applies the rules across the whole site, while placing it in a subfolder limits the effect to that section.

Yes. After you copy or download the file, it is plain text you can open in any editor. The tool gives you a correct starting point built from your toggles, and you can adjust values, add comments, or paste directives it does not cover. Just keep the Apache syntax intact so the server can parse each line.

If you are tuning a site for performance, the CSS minifier reduces stylesheet size, which pairs well with the compression rules here. To compare two versions of a config file you can use the diff checker and see exactly which directives changed before you deploy.