Editing the .htaccess file through cPanel File Manager allows you to make server-level configurations for your website, such as redirects, access rules, and performance settings. Here's how you can edit it safely.
Step 1: Log in to cPanel
- Open your web browser and navigate to your cPanel login page (e.g.,
https://yourdomain.com:2083). - Enter your username and password, then click Log in.
Step 2: Access File Manager
- In the cPanel dashboard, scroll to the Files section.
- Click on File Manager.
Step 3: Locate the .htaccess File
- In the File Manager interface, navigate to the root directory of your website:
- For the primary domain, go to the public_html folder.
- For subdomains or add-on domains, navigate to the respective folder.
- If you cannot see the
.htaccessfile:- Click on the Settings button in the top-right corner of File Manager.
- Check the box for Show Hidden Files (dotfiles).
- Click Save.
Step 4: Backup the .htaccess File
- Before making any edits, create a backup of the existing
.htaccessfile:- Right-click on the file and select Copy.
- Save the copy in the same directory or another safe location (e.g., name it
htaccess-backup).
Step 5: Edit the .htaccess File
- Right-click on the
.htaccessfile and select Edit. - A pop-up may appear asking to confirm encoding. Click Edit to proceed.
Step 6: Make Changes to the File
- In the text editor that opens, make the necessary changes to the
.htaccessfile.- Common configurations include:
- Redirects: Redirect 301 /old-page.html http://example.com/new-page.html
- Deny Access by IP: Deny from 192.168.1.1
- Enable Compression: AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/html text/plain text/xml
- Common configurations include:
Step 7: Save Changes
- After editing, click Save Changes in the top-right corner of the editor.
- Close the editor.
Step 8: Test Your Website
- Open your website in a browser to ensure it is functioning correctly after the changes.
- If the website is broken or shows a server error (e.g., 500 Internal Server Error), revert to the backup file:
- Rename the backup file to
.htaccessto restore it.
- Rename the backup file to
Tips for Editing the .htaccess File
- Make Incremental Changes: Edit only one section at a time and test your website after each change.
- Use Commenting: Add comments to explain your changes for future reference.
Example:
# Redirect old page to new page
Redirect 301 /old-page.html http://example.com/new-page.html
- Validate Syntax: Double-check your syntax, as
.htaccessis very sensitive to errors.
Editing the .htaccess file through cPanel File Manager is a powerful way to configure your server. By following these steps carefully, you can make changes safely and efficiently.
