How to Set Up mod_rewrite on Apache

The mod_rewrite module in Apache provides a powerful and flexible way to rewrite URLs. This guide will walk you through enabling and configuring mod_rewrite on Apache.

1. Enable mod_rewrite

First, you need to ensure that mod_rewrite is enabled in your Apache configuration.

For Ubuntu/Debian-based systems:

sudo a2enmod rewrite

For CentOS/RHEL-based systems, mod_rewrite is usually enabled by default. If not, ensure that the following line is included in your httpd.conf or a relevant configuration file:

LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so

2. Configure Apache to Allow Overrides

Update your Apache configuration to allow URL rewriting. Edit your Apache configuration file or virtual host file (e.g., /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf for Ubuntu/Debian or /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf for CentOS/RHEL):

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf

Ensure that the AllowOverride directive is set to All within the <Directory> block:

    Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
    AllowOverride All
    Require all granted

    

Save and close the file (press Ctrl+X, then Y, and Enter).

3. Create a .htaccess File

Create a .htaccess file in your web root directory if it doesn’t already exist:

nano /var/www/html/.htaccess

Add your rewrite rules to this file. For example, to redirect all HTTP requests to HTTPS, you could use:

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

Save and close the file.

4. Test Your Configuration

Restart Apache to apply the changes:

sudo service apache2 restart

For CentOS/RHEL systems, use:

sudo service httpd restart

Verify that your rewrite rules are working by accessing your site and checking if the URLs are being rewritten as expected.

5. Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues, check the Apache error logs for hints:

sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/error.log

For CentOS/RHEL systems, use:

sudo tail -f /var/log/httpd/error_log

Ensure that the AllowOverride directive is correctly set and that the rewrite rules are correctly written in your .htaccess file.

6. Advanced Configuration

For more advanced URL rewriting, refer to the official Apache mod_rewrite documentation.