Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Put a file named .htaccess in the subdomain’s document-root directory—the folder Apache maps to sub.example.com. Apache then applies permitted directives in that file to the directory and its descendants. If the matching server configuration uses AllowOverride None, Apache ignores the file, so you must have the administrator enable the override category your directives need. When you control the server’s main configuration, a virtual-host or <Directory> rule is usually faster and more tightly controlled than .htaccess.
Antihost offers managed WordPress hosting with free migration, one-click staging and a 14-day free trial.
What an .htaccess file does for a subdomain
.htaccess is Apache’s per-directory configuration file. It lets a directory owner change selected server behavior without editing the global configuration. For a subdomain, the relevant directory is the document root assigned to that subdomain, not necessarily the root of the primary domain.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
For example, a server might map blog.example.com to /srv/www/blog. A file at /srv/www/blog/.htaccess can affect requests handled from that directory and its child directories. A file in /srv/www/example.com may affect the main domain or be inherited by the subdomain, depending on the virtual-host and directory layout; it is not a reliable substitute for placing the file in the subdomain’s actual root.
Apache reads applicable files through the directory path and combines them with the server and virtual-host configuration. A more specific directory can change settings inherited from a parent. Rules therefore depend on both the file’s location and the order in which Apache encounters configuration.
#1 Best Overall
- [Ultra-Lightweight Ear Buds Designed for Small Ears] Each earbud weighs only 3.7g and features a compact, ergonomic in-ear design made especially for small ears. Secure, low-profile, and comfortable for workouts, all-day wear or overnight sleeping.The ultra-slim profile sits flush in your ear with no hard edges poking or rubbing, so you can even sleep on your side without discomfort.
- [Immersive Stereo Sound with TOZO OrigX Technology] TOZO OrigX tuning delivers clear vocals, balanced mids, and natural stereo sound for music, podcasts, and videos.
- [Long Battery Life for Daily Use] Get up to 7 hours of playtime on a single charge, with up to 32 hours total using the charging case—ideal for workdays, commuting, and extended listening sessions.
- [Bluetooth 5.3 & Stable Connection] Bluetooth 5.3 provides fast pairing, stable wireless performance, and reduced dropouts as you move around home or office.
- [Deep Bass with Clear Vocals] High-performance drivers produce punchy bass while keeping vocals clean and detailed for everyday listening.
Before you create the file
Confirm that the server is Apache
.htaccess is an Apache mechanism. A hosting panel may offer a file with that name even when the site is served by another web server or a proxy, but the directives will only work where Apache processes the request. Ask the host which service handles the subdomain if the result is unclear.
Know whether you can change override policy
The administrator must permit each class of directive in the matching <Directory> configuration. If you only have FTP, SFTP or control-panel access, you normally cannot change this policy yourself. Request that the host enable the required category rather than trying to work around it in the file.
Collect the subdomain’s document root
You need the physical directory mapped to the subdomain. A URL path such as /blog is not automatically the same thing as the filesystem directory used by blog.example.com. Write down the complete path before uploading anything, especially when several domains share one account.
Find the correct document-root directory
Use the virtual-host definition when you administer Apache
Open the virtual-host definition for the subdomain and locate its DocumentRoot. The <Directory> block that matches that path determines whether .htaccess directives are accepted. A simplified arrangement looks like this:
Rank #2
- 【IP68 Waterproof Multifunctinal Smart Watch】Torjalph fitness activity tracker smart watch is IP68 waterproof technology ,you can wear it when swimming,handwashing,it's rain-proof which means that you perform multiple exercise modes outside without worrying about sweat or rain corroding your fitness smart watch,and this watch equipped with a 230 mAh large capacity battery magnetic charging ,and this sports activity tracker watch can be used 5-7 days If fully charged.
- 【Larger 1.83'' Full Screen Watch & Multi-dial Selection】1.83 inch full HD color touch screen smart watch for men / women provides excellent 240*284 resolution image quality ,This Bluetooth smart watch offers a better touch experience and remarkable immersion and ,more than 200 watch faces for you to choose from App"Da Fit ", you can change the dial style according to your mood to wear keeping the world on your wrist
- 【Accurate Activity Tracker Smart Watch 】sports watch activity tracker uses sweat and dust resistant breathable silicone strap, our Fitness Tracker Smart Watch for Android iOS Phones supports 12 sports modes,walking,running,bicycle,swimming,badminton,basketball,football,rope skipping. This bluetooth calls smart watch for men women is lightweight and stylish, bringing more convenient and relaxing sports experience while also providing more protection.
- 【Your 24 Hour Personal Daily Health Monitor】Fitness watch for women men full touch screen IP67 waterproof bluetooth smartwatch for Android iOS Phones with heart rate blood pressure monitor multifunction Andriod smart watch with steps counter sleep monitor sports fitness watch, monitoring blood oxygen saturation allows you to understand your physical condition in real time to track fitness progress ,to know your health status in time.
- 【More Functions Bluetooth Call Smart Watch】This fitness activity smart watch full screen for iPhone and Android phones includes a bunch of new features including:The bluetooth smart watch can hang up the phone, receive and display WhatsAPP /Text /Facebook /Twitter /Messenger reminder.Support sedentary reminder, alarm clock, stopwatch, timer,weather information,music control, remote camera control compatible with Android 5.0 and above or iOS 9.0 and above smartphones.
<VirtualHost *:443>
ServerName sub.example.com
DocumentRoot /srv/www/sub.example.com
<Directory /srv/www/sub.example.com>
AllowOverride FileInfo
Require all granted
</Directory>
</VirtualHost>The example is illustrative: keep your existing TLS, logging and access settings, and use the smallest override category that meets your needs. A configuration reload is required after changing the main server configuration.
Use the hosting panel when the provider manages Apache
Look for a subdomain, domains, websites or document-root field. Panels commonly display a path beside the subdomain entry, but labels differ. If the panel lets you open the directory in a file manager, verify that the directory contains the files served at the subdomain’s home page. Uploading .htaccess beside the primary domain’s files will have no effect if the subdomain points elsewhere.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsVerify the mapping with a harmless file
If the path is uncertain, place a temporary text file containing a unique word in the suspected directory and request that word through the subdomain. Remove the file immediately after confirming the mapping. Do not leave diagnostic files publicly accessible.
Create and upload the file correctly
- Create a plain-text file whose complete name is
.htaccess. It has no prefix and no extension after “htaccess”. Names such ashtaccess.txt,.htaccess.txtorhtaccessare different files. - Upload it directly into the subdomain’s document root. A file in a child directory applies only there and below; a file in a parent directory may be inherited by multiple sites.
- Enable “show hidden files” in your FTP client or file manager. Filenames beginning with a dot are often hidden by default.
- Keep the file as plain text with normal line endings. Do not paste rich-text formatting or smart quotation marks into Apache configuration.
- Use the host’s normal web-readable ownership and permissions. Do not make the file world-writable; ask the provider for its required ownership if uploads are created under the wrong account.
Apache normally looks for the name .htaccess. A different filename works only when the administrator changes the server’s AccessFileName setting.
Rank #3
- [Low Noise High Fidelity] New bee guitar cord with 22AWG oxygen-free-copper center conductors provides enhanced signal transfer, the PVC insulation material and the high-density stranded copper double shield provide noise rejection for quiet operation
- [Ideal for Choice] New bee 1/4 straight and right angle metal connectors, ensures a secure connection in any instrument, pedal, or amp jack. L shape great fro on stage guitar stands
- [Wide Compatible] Suitable for mixer, power amplifier, microphone, effector, decoder, equalizer, electoronic organ, electric guitar, electric bass and other electronic equipments. Widely used in the installation of smart home, karaoke speaker, professional stage audio, etc
- [Easy Disassemble] Making incidental repairs quick and easy! Very nice, flexible cable
- [Dont Hesite to Order] 24 hours customer services and professional technology team are standing by
Enable the directives Apache is allowed to read
Override policy is the most common reason a subdomain appears to ignore its file. If the applicable directory configuration says AllowOverride None, Apache will not use directives from .htaccess. The administrator must select a category, or explicitly allow named directives with AllowOverrideList.
| Task | Typical directives | Required permission |
|---|---|---|
| URL rewriting and redirects | RewriteEngine, RewriteCond, RewriteRule |
AllowOverride FileInfo (and a loaded rewrite module) |
| Basic HTTP authentication | AuthType, AuthName, AuthUserFile, Require |
AllowOverride AuthConfig |
| Named-directive allow-list | Only the directives listed by the administrator | AllowOverrideList entries for those directives |
The category must be enabled in the <Directory> block that matches the subdomain’s real path. Enabling a category for an unrelated directory does not authorize the file. If you receive a 500 response immediately after adding a directive, check the error log: Apache usually records whether the directive is disallowed or malformed.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Write rewrite rules in .htaccess context
Turn the rewrite engine on
For rewrite rules, start with:
RewriteEngine OnIn an .htaccess file, Apache removes the directory prefix—and the leading slash—from the path before matching a RewriteRule. Thus a request for https://sub.example.com/account is matched as account, not /account. A pattern copied from a virtual-host configuration can therefore fail or behave unexpectedly.
Use conditions before rules
A rule should state the exact request it is intended to change. For example, a path-specific redirect can be written as:
Rank #4
- Digital Family Calendar: BSIMB digital calendar wall touch screen puts an end to your chaotic life. Designed for busy families, the digital calendar keeps you organised and in step with your family. Assign different colours and tasks to each family member to make family scheduling easier and more intuitive.
- Easy Setup and Auto-Sync: Plug in, connect to WLAN and auto-syn your electric calendar in minutes. Digital wall calendar compatible with Google calendar, iCloud calendar, Outlook calendar, Cozi calendar and Yahoo calendar. Add events directly on the device or through the ecalendar app. Electronic calendar stays current whether you're at work or traveling—no manual updates needed.
- All-In-One Home Assistant: Smart calendar builds habits and encourage independence with personalised chores. Display daily meal plan to reduce the daily ‘What's for dinner?’ stress. To-do lists keep track of everything you want. Turning chores into valuable achievements with stars and rewards, making life easier and more enjoyable.
- Manage Anytime Anywhere: BSIMB electronic calendar for family stay connected with the powerful ecalendar app. Access and manage your digital wall calendar anytime, anywhere with free features like stars & rewards, photo screensaver, chore charts, meals plans, to-do lists etc. Electronic planner paid features like Magic Import tailor advanced tools for users with special needs.
- Stay in Touch with Loved Ones: Share photos or videos from your phone to electronic wall calendar with app, instantly update your life moment, and keep in touch with your family, especially those who are far away; you can also surprise your smart calendar digital wall by sending him a wish card; it's also great for keeping tech-illiterate elders in touch with the youngsters.
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^old-page/?$ /new-page [R=301,L]The pattern has no leading slash. The substitution begins with a slash because it is a URL path. Test with a temporary redirect status while developing, then use a permanent status only after the destination is correct; browsers cache permanent redirects aggressively.
Handle HTTPS redirects with the deployment in mind
The usual design is to test whether the request reached Apache over an unencrypted connection and redirect it to the HTTPS URL. The exact condition depends on where TLS terminates. If a reverse proxy or CDN decrypts HTTPS before forwarding to Apache, Apache may see an internal HTTP connection even though the visitor used HTTPS. A rule that checks only Apache’s local connection can then create a redirect loop.
Have the administrator document the trusted proxy headers and configure the condition accordingly. Do not trust an arbitrary client-supplied forwarding header as proof that a request is secure. Once the proxy arrangement is known, add the condition and rule in the subdomain’s file, test both direct and proxied requests, and inspect the response status and Location header.
Watch for parent rules
A parent directory may already rewrite the request before the subdomain’s file is processed. Check all applicable files when a rule appears to match the wrong path. Use a narrowly anchored pattern and the appropriate stop flag rather than adding increasingly broad exceptions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Protect a subdomain with Basic authentication
To require a username and password for every resource in the subdomain root, use authentication directives such as:
AuthType Basic
AuthName "Restricted Files"
AuthUserFile "/path/outside/document-root/.htpasswd"
Require valid-userThis requires AllowOverride AuthConfig in the matching directory. The authentication and authorization modules must also be installed and loaded; a host can confirm that requirement from its server configuration or error log.
Recommended Free Tools
Create the password file safely
Store the file named by AuthUserFile outside every web-accessible document root. If it is inside a served directory, a misconfiguration could expose password hashes for download. Use the host’s supported password-file utility or control-panel function to create and update entries; do not edit hash formats by hand unless you know which authentication module expects them.
Use TLS
Basic authentication encodes credentials but does not encrypt them. Use HTTPS, provided by Apache’s TLS configuration or a correctly configured reverse proxy, before sending a password. Authentication alone is not a substitute for transport encryption.
Understand inheritance and scope
Apache searches for applicable configuration as it traverses the request’s directory path. A parent .htaccess can affect the subdomain if the subdomain directory lies beneath it, while a more specific file can add or change settings for that subtree. This is useful for shared defaults but risky when a parent contains a broad redirect or access rule intended for another site.
- Keep subdomain-specific rules in the subdomain’s own document root whenever possible.
- Review parent files before diagnosing a loop, unexpected redirect or authentication prompt.
- Use explicit conditions so a rule cannot capture unrelated hostnames or paths.
- Remember that a child directory’s file cannot undo every server-level restriction; administrator policy remains authoritative.
Test each change without taking the subdomain down
- Back up the working file before editing it. Keep the previous version available through the panel or an administrator-managed deployment process.
- Add one directive or one small rule at a time. Mixing a rewrite change with authentication changes makes the first failure harder to identify.
- Request the subdomain’s home page and one known child URL. Confirm the status code, final URL and response body.
- For redirects, inspect the complete redirect chain and the
Locationheader. Test an HTTP request, an HTTPS request and a URL that should not redirect. - For authentication, use a private browser window, confirm that an unauthenticated request receives a challenge, then verify a valid account and an invalid account separately.
- Read Apache’s error log immediately after every failure. The log identifies syntax errors, forbidden directives, missing modules and many path problems that the browser reduces to “500 Internal Server Error.”
- Remove temporary test files and replace experimental permanent redirects with the known-good backup if behavior is wrong.
Troubleshoot the common failure modes
The file has no effect
- Confirm the filename is exactly
.htaccess, including its leading dot, and that hidden files are visible in the file manager. - Verify that the file is in the directory mapped to the subdomain, not merely in the account’s primary domain directory.
- Ask the administrator to check the matching
<Directory>block.AllowOverride Nonedisables the file. - Check whether the request is actually being served by Apache and whether a proxy or different virtual host handles the hostname.
The change produces a 500 error
Inspect the Apache error log first. Typical causes are a typo, a directive outside the enabled override category, a missing module or invalid quoting. Remove the most recent change, confirm that the previous version serves normally, and then reintroduce a corrected directive.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →A rewrite loops or targets the wrong path
- Remove the leading slash from the
RewriteRulepattern in per-directory context. - Check whether a parent file or virtual-host rule is rewriting the same request.
- Ensure the condition distinguishes the original request from the rewritten destination.
- Check proxy and CDN behavior before adding an HTTPS condition; an incorrect scheme test can redirect HTTPS back to itself.
The password prompt fails
- Confirm that
AllowOverride AuthConfigis enabled for this directory. - Verify the absolute
AuthUserFilepath and that Apache can read it. - Ask the administrator to confirm that the required authentication modules are loaded.
- Use HTTPS and test with a newly created account to separate a transport problem from a bad password entry.
.htaccess versus the main Apache configuration
| Consideration | .htaccess | Virtual-host or <Directory> configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Access needed | Directory-level access may be enough, if the administrator permits overrides. | Root or server-administrator access is required. |
| Where rules live | In the document-root directory and, optionally, its descendants. | In the server, virtual-host or directory configuration. |
| Performance | Apache checks applicable directories while handling requests. | Configuration is loaded and parsed as part of server operation, avoiding per-request file discovery. |
| Control and security | Convenient for managed hosting, but grants directory users the ability to change permitted behavior. | Centralized control makes review and restriction easier. |
| Provider support | Works only when the host enables the needed override categories or named directives. | Works when you administer the Apache configuration directly. |
Apache’s own guidance favors the main configuration when you control it, because .htaccess introduces directory checks during requests and gives less-centralized users configuration power. Use .htaccess when a managed host or content provider does not grant server-configuration access but explicitly supports the directives you need.
Quick Recap
Production checklist
- Document the subdomain’s exact document root and keep the file there.
- Confirm the applicable
AllowOverridecategory orAllowOverrideListentry before deploying a directive. - Keep rewrite patterns in per-directory syntax; do not copy a leading slash into a
RewriteRulepattern. - Review parent-directory and virtual-host rules for interactions.
- Keep
.htpasswdoutside all document roots. - Use TLS before enabling Basic authentication for real users.
- Test one change at a time and monitor the error log.
- Prefer a virtual-host or
<Directory>configuration when you have administrator access and need centralized performance and security control.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
