Apache Rewrite: What It Is and How to Use It

If you have been working with Apache web server for a while, you may have heard of the term "rewrite". Apache rewrite is a powerful module that allows you to manipulate URLs as they are requested by clients, and it can be used for a variety of purposes such as redirecting old URLs to new ones, enforcing SSL on certain pages, or even customizing URLs for SEO purposes.

In this post, we will go over what Apache rewrite is, how it works, and provide examples of common use cases.

What is Apache Rewrite?

Apache rewrite is a module that is included with the Apache web server. It is used to manipulate URLs as they are requested by clients. It can be used to redirect URLs, add or remove query string parameters, and even modify the contents of a URL.

How Does Apache Rewrite Work?

Apache rewrite works by using regular expressions to match the requested URL against a set of rules. These rules are defined in a configuration file, usually called ".htaccess", which is placed in the root directory of your website.

When a client requests a URL, Apache checks the rules in the .htaccess file to see if any of them apply to the requested URL. If a rule matches, Apache applies the rewrite and sends the new URL back to the client.

Common Use Cases for Apache Rewrite

Redirecting Old URLs to New Ones

One of the most common use cases for Apache rewrite is to redirect old URLs to new ones. This can be useful if you have changed the structure of your website and want to ensure that users can still find the content they are looking for.

For example, let's say you had a page on your website with the URL "http://www.example.com/products.php?id=123". You have now changed the structure of your website, and the same page is now located at "http://www.example.com/products/123". To redirect users who have bookmarked the old URL, you can use the following rule in your .htaccess file:



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This rule will match any URL that contains the query string parameter "id=123" and redirect it to the new URL "/products/123".

Enforcing SSL on Certain Pages

If you have pages on your website that require a secure connection, you can use Apache rewrite to enforce SSL on those pages. This can be useful if you are collecting sensitive information from users, such as credit card numbers or personal information.

To enforce SSL on a specific page, you can use the following rule in your .htaccess file:
This rule will match any URL that contains the string "/checkout" and redirect it to the same URL with "https://" instead of "http://".

Customizing URLs for SEO Purposes

Apache rewrite can also be used to customize URLs for SEO purposes. For example, you may want to remove query string parameters from your URLs, or add keywords to your URLs to improve search engine rankings.

To remove query string parameters from your URLs, you can use the following rule:

This rule will match any URL that does not contain a query string and remove it.