.htaccess Generator — Free Online Apache Config Builder

If you run a website on Apache or shared hosting, you've needed an .htaccess file. Maybe you want to force HTTPS. Maybe you're chasing a redirect that won't stick. Maybe you need to block a bot that's hammering your server.

The syntax is straightforward once you know it. But the first time you write RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off from memory, you're probably wrong. One typo and Apache returns a 500 to every visitor.

.htaccess Generator removes the guesswork. Toggle the rules you need, copy the result, paste it into your server root. No Apache documentation required.

What Is an .htaccess File?

An .htaccess file is a per-directory configuration file for the Apache web server. It controls how Apache handles requests for files in that directory and every subdirectory below it.

Common uses include:

• Redirecting HTTP to HTTPS
• Controlling www vs. non-www in the URL
• Setting browser caching rules for static assets
• Serving custom error pages (404, 500, etc.)
• Blocking specific bots or IP ranges
• Enabling gzip compression
• Protecting images from hotlinking

The file lives in your website's document root — typically public_html on shared hosting or the root of your WordPress install.

How to Use the .htaccess Generator

Step 1: Open htaccess-generator.tools.jagodana.com

Step 2: Toggle the rules you need across four tabs — Basic, Performance, Security, and Redirects

Step 3: The .htaccess output updates live in the preview panel on the right

Step 4: Click Copy, paste the file into your server's document root

The entire process takes under a minute. Nothing is sent to a server — all generation runs in your browser.

What Rules Can You Configure?

Force HTTPS

The most common .htaccess use case. The generator produces the correct three-line mod_rewrite block that checks if the connection is already HTTPS and redirects if not:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

This is a 301 permanent redirect, which means search engines and browsers cache it.

WWW Redirect

Choose to force www (add it to bare domains) or remove www (redirect www.example.com to example.com). The generator handles the mod_rewrite conditions correctly for both directions.

Disable Directory Listing

Prevents visitors from seeing the contents of folders that don't have an index file. One line: Options -Indexes.

Custom Error Pages

Set custom HTML paths for six HTTP error codes: 400, 401, 403, 404, 500, and 503. Each uses the Apache ErrorDocument directive.

Gzip Compression

Adds mod_deflate rules that compress HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JSON, XML, and SVG responses. Reduces transfer size by 60-80% for text content.

Browser Caching

Adds mod_expires rules with sensible defaults: images cached for one year, CSS and JavaScript for one month, HTML uncached. This is the single highest-impact performance change you can make in .htaccess.

Security Headers

Adds X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN (blocks clickjacking), X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff (prevents MIME-type sniffing), and Referrer-Policy: strict-origin-when-cross-origin via mod_headers.

Block Bad Bots

Uses SetEnvIfNoCase to match common scraper bot user-agents (AhrefsBot, MJ12Bot, SemRushBot, DotBot, ExaBot) and deny them access. Useful for servers where these bots generate significant load.

Hotlink Protection

Blocks external sites from embedding your images directly. Checks HTTP_REFERER and returns a 403 to any domain other than your configured allowed domain.

Custom Redirect Rules

Add any number of 301 (permanent) or 302 (temporary) redirects from a specific path to any URL or path. Useful for page migrations, campaign URLs, and URL restructuring.

How to Use .htaccess with WordPress

WordPress generates its own .htaccess block during installation:

# BEGIN WordPress
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>
# END WordPress

Add the rules from this generator above the # BEGIN WordPress comment. Do not replace or modify the WordPress block — it handles all URL routing for WordPress and must stay intact.

Why Use a Generator Instead of Writing Manually?

The generator eliminates three common failure modes:

Syntax errors — One wrong flag, a missing backslash, or an extra space can break Apache. The generator produces known-good syntax for every rule.

Rule conflicts — When RewriteEngine On appears multiple times or conditions apply in the wrong order, behavior becomes unpredictable. The generator ensures RewriteEngine On appears once and conditions are ordered correctly.

Missing module checks — Rules like gzip compression and browser caching use <IfModule> wrappers so they fail silently if the module isn't loaded, rather than causing a 500 error.

Live Tool

Build your .htaccess file at htaccess-generator.tools.jagodana.com — free, no signup, 100% client-side.