Understanding and configuring .htaccess file in WordPress

Want to edit your .htaccess file?

Today we are going to learn...

.htaccess files are not unique to WordPress. All other Apache web hosts offer .htaccess file functionality.

Confusing?

Let us first understand what is .htaccess file.

What is the WordPress .htaccess File?

In most cases, a .htaccess file appears by default when you install WordPress.

However, it remains in hidden mode and is located in the root directory of your WordPress installation. Sometimes, the .htaccess file does not exist and you have to manually create the .htaccess file in WordPress.

Now, we can use a normal text editor to update or delete the contents of our WordPress blog's .htaccess file.

Following is the default code for your WordPress htaccess file:

# BEGIN WordPressRewriteRule 
^index\.php$ – [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
# END WordPress

Let’s take, for example, a question from Kashish, one of ShoutMeLoud’s readers.

Question: Hi, I want to edit my permalinks in WordPress to /%postname? and it requires me to add some code to my .htaccess.txt file but I can't find it in my dashboard or root directory. How do I create a WordPress .htaccess file and add the code to it?

Now, you can solve this problem like this:

In most WordPress blogs, the .htaccess file is located by default in the root directory of your WordPress installation.

All you need to do is click on Force display of hidden files from the options menu, which has been explained before.

If the .htaccess file does not exist, simply create a new Notepad file (htaccess.txt) and rename it to .htaccess. Make sure it is completely different from .htaccess.txt. If you are using Windows, you can uncheck the " Hide extensions for known file types " option.

After renaming the file to .htaccess, upload it to the root directory of your WordPress installation and edit the file as needed. If you have a hard time renaming htaccess.txt to .htaccess, simply upload the htaccess.txt file and rename it on your server.

Sounds much easier now?

No?

Let us take a closer look at how to edit the .htaccess file.

For better understanding, I will share a quick tutorial on how to edit WordPress .htaccess file.

There are multiple methods you can follow, three of which are mentioned below:

1. From cPanel.
2. From your WordPress dashboard.
3. Use a desktop FTP client.

Also, when you edit WordPress permalinks, you need to update the .htaccess file. If you are a self-hosted WordPress user, then you must know about .htaccess file and how to edit it.

How to Edit WordPress .htaccess File Using cPanel

Most web hosting companies offer cPanel, which makes it easier for non-technical people to use and modify their .htaccess files.

cPanel is particularly useful for non-technical people who need to add or edit some code. They can do it quickly using this online editor.

First, log in to your cPanel. Click on File Manager under the Files section .

Depending on your WordPress installation directory, you will find .htaccess in the root directory of your WP installation. If you don't see it, see my Creating a WordPress .htaccess instructions to add one.

Select the .htaccess file and click **"Edit". ** This will open the editor in a new tab and you can make changes from there.

Make your changes and save the file.

Prosperity!

Next,

To edit .htaccess from your WordPress dashboard:

There are many WordPress plugins that offer the ability to edit .htaccess files from the WP dashboard. If you use the Rankmath plugin or the SEO by Yoast plugin , you can access it from the plugin settings.

For Yoast SEO: SEO by Yoast > Edit File.

If you are using Rank Math, you can go to Rank Math > General Settings > Edit .htaccess

Edit the .htaccess file using an FTP client:

This is my favorite method because I like to do things on my desktop. Best of all, FTP clients give you more control.

Use any free FTP client like FileZilla and log in to your FTP hosting account. Browse to the root directory of your installation. You must enable *"Show hidden items" * to view the .htaccess file.

Here's how to enable the feature:

FileZilla menu options > Select Server > Force display of hidden files

Now, navigate to the root folder of your domain. Your .htaccess file will be located in the root of that folder.

Download your .htaccess file and start editing it.

Before you start editing your .htaccess file, be sure to back it up. You can edit the file using your operating system's default text editor. Once you're done editing, upload it again.

• Make sure the permissions on your .htaccess file are 644 and not 777 .

In the following articles, I will share some WordPress .htaccess tips to make your life easier.

Please continue to watch this space.

You might also consider reading:

• A Step-by-Step Guide to Installing a Self-Hosted WordPress Blog
• WordPress vs. Blogger: Which is Better and Why?

If you still have questions about the steps to edit WordPress .htaccess file, let us know.

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