Htaccess Generator

Generate .htaccess rules for Apache: HTTPS and www redirects, 301 redirects, caching headers, compression, security headers and custom error pages.

Force HTTPS

Canonical host

Domain

Enable gzip compression

Cache static assets for a year

Add security headers

Disable directory listing

Custom 404 and 500 pages

301 redirects, one per line: /old /new

.htaccess

The result appears here as you type.

What this tool is for

Apache configuration written from memory tends to end in a 500 error or a redirect loop. Tick the rules you want, get a commented file back. The security header block is worth taking even if you came for something else: it is the cheapest hardening available on a shared host.

How to use it

Select the rules you need: force HTTPS, canonical www, compression, caching, security headers.
Add any custom 301 redirects.
Back up your existing .htaccess before replacing it.
Upload and test immediately: a syntax error here takes the whole site down with a 500.

Frequently asked questions

My site broke with a 500 error after uploading.

Apache refuses the whole file on one bad directive, usually a module that is not loaded, such as mod_rewrite or mod_deflate. Restore the backup, then add rules back in small groups to find the offender.

Does .htaccess work on Nginx?

No. Nginx has no per-directory configuration file at all: the equivalent rules go in the server block and require a reload.

Which security headers should I set?

Start with X-Content-Type-Options, Referrer-Policy and a Permissions-Policy. Content-Security-Policy is the strongest of them and the one most likely to break your own scripts, so add it last and test carefully.