Where do I put the .htaccess file?

Place it in the root directory of your website (typically public_html or www). You can also place it in subdirectories to apply rules only to that directory and its children.

Does this work on Nginx or IIS?

.htaccess files are specific to the Apache web server. Nginx uses a different configuration syntax and does not read .htaccess files. IIS uses web.config files instead.

Will adding a .htaccess file slow my site down?

Apache reads .htaccess files on every request, so there is a tiny overhead. For high-traffic sites, it is better to move the directives into your main Apache server config (httpd.conf or a VirtualHost block) where they are parsed once at startup.

What is HSTS and should I enable it?

HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) tells browsers to always use HTTPS for your domain, preventing protocol downgrade attacks. Only enable it when you are confident your HTTPS setup is permanent, as it is very hard to undo once browsers cache the header.

What does "Options -Indexes" do?

It disables directory listing. Without this, Apache shows all files in a directory when there is no index file, which can expose sensitive data.

Can I combine snippets from different sections?

Yes. All sections generated by this tool are compatible with each other. Simply enable the sections you need and the tool combines them correctly.

Htaccess Generator — .htaccess Redirect & HTTPS

Summary

Select the options you need and instantly generate a ready-to-paste Apache .htaccess configuration.

How it works

Toggle the sections you want to include in your .htaccess file.
Adjust the options for each section using the controls provided.
The generated .htaccess code updates in real time on the right.
Click "Copy to Clipboard" to copy the entire configuration.
Paste the output into your site's root .htaccess file.

Use cases

Enforce HTTPS sitewide with a single redirect rule.
Add security headers (X-Frame-Options, CSP, HSTS) to harden your site.
Set browser caching rules to improve page load performance.
Define custom 404, 403, and 500 error pages.
Redirect a specific old URL to a new one with a 301.
Block access to sensitive files like .env or wp-config.php.
Enable Gzip/Deflate compression to reduce transfer sizes.
Prevent directory listing from exposing your file structure.

.htaccess Generator