If Apache appears to ignore your .htaccess RewriteRule, start with the server configuration rather than the regular expression. The usual causes are an AllowOverride policy that prevents Apache from reading the file, a missing mod_rewrite engine, a leading slash in a per-directory pattern, disabled symbolic-link options, an incorrect relative substitution base, rule ordering, or a cached permanent redirect. Work through the checks below in order; each one either fixes the request or narrows the failure to a specific layer.
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Use the symptom to choose your first check
Different failures point to different parts of Apache’s request processing. Identify the closest symptom before changing several directives at once.
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|---|---|---|
| The request behaves exactly as if no rule exists | Apache is not reading the file, the file is in the wrong directory, or the rewrite engine is off | Verify the active DocumentRoot, the matching <Directory> block, AllowOverride, and RewriteEngine On |
| A rule never matches, but there is no server error | Per-directory pattern syntax or a failed condition | Remove the leading slash from the pattern and inspect every RewriteCond |
Apache returns HTTP 500 and the error log mentions AH00670 |
Symbolic-link options are not permitted | Enable Options FollowSymLinks or Options SymLinksIfOwnerMatch in an allowed context |
| An internal rewrite lands at the wrong URL or a subdirectory installation fails | Relative substitution has the wrong URL base | Evaluate whether RewriteBase is needed |
| Rules work inconsistently or loop | Earlier matches, conditions, or missing terminating flags | Trace the rules in order and add an appropriate [L] or [END] |
| A redirect still goes to the old destination | Client or intermediary cache, usually from a previous 301 | Test with a temporary 302 in a private window |
How Apache processes a .htaccess rewrite
A .htaccess file is a per-directory configuration file. Apache only consults it when the server’s configuration allows overrides for that directory. Once the file is accepted, mod_rewrite evaluates rules sequentially. For each rule, the pattern must match and all preceding RewriteCond directives attached to it must pass. Only then is the substitution applied. Flags such as [L] and [END] can stop further rewriting.
That context differs from a server or virtual-host configuration. In a root-level .htaccess, Apache removes the directory prefix before matching. A request for /old-path is therefore tested as old-path, not /old-path. This single difference explains many apparently valid rules that never fire.
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1. Prove that Apache is reading the file
Check the filename and location
The file must be named exactly .htaccess, including the leading dot and lowercase spelling. Put it in the directory covered by the request: normally the active document root, or the relevant application subdirectory. If several directories contain files with that name, Apache may process more than one file as it walks the path, so first identify which directory actually serves the URL.
Inspect the matching Directory policy
Apache 2.4’s core default is AllowOverride None. With that setting, the file is completely ignored. For rewrite directives, the applicable directory must permit at least FileInfo overrides, or use AllowOverride All. A server administrator can also use an AllowOverrideList policy to allow selected directives. The setting must be in the <Directory> block that matches the filesystem directory, not merely in an unrelated virtual host block.
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AllowOverride FileInfo
</Directory>After changing the main Apache configuration, reload or restart Apache according to the host’s operating procedure. Shared hosting often does not expose this block; in that case, no edit inside .htaccess can override a server policy that disallows it.
Use a harmless read test
Do not begin by changing a complex rule. Confirm the file is in the served tree and that a deliberately invalid directive produces a clear “unknown directive” error, then remove the test immediately. If the invalid line produces no error and no behavior change, that is evidence Apache never read the file. Perform this only where you can safely inspect the error log; on managed systems, ask the provider to confirm the effective directory policy instead.
2. Confirm mod_rewrite and the rewrite engine
Look for module availability
The directives RewriteRule, RewriteCond, and RewriteEngine belong to mod_rewrite. If Apache reports an unknown directive, the module is not loaded or the directive is not permitted in that context. Loading a module is a server-level task; it cannot be repaired by adding more rules to .htaccess.
Enable the engine explicitly
At the top of the relevant file, use:
RewriteEngine OnWithout this line, the module may be available while rule processing remains disabled for that directory. Keep one clear engine declaration near the start of each file and then test a minimal rule before restoring conditions and exceptions.
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3. Fix per-directory pattern syntax
Remove the leading slash
In .htaccess context, match the path after Apache has removed the directory prefix. For a file in the document root:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^old-path/?$ new.html [L]This matches /old-path and an optional trailing slash. The equivalent pattern with a leading slash, ^/old-path, does not match in this context.
Account for a subdirectory file
If the file is in /var/www/example/public/blog/.htaccess, the rule sees the portion below blog. A request for /blog/archive/post is tested as archive/post, so the pattern should be:
RewriteRule ^archive/post/?$ article.html [L]Do not copy a rule written for a virtual-host configuration into .htaccess unchanged. The matching string and the substitution’s relative meaning can both change.
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Test the smallest possible pattern
Temporarily replace a complicated expression with a literal path and a known target. Once that works, reintroduce optional slashes, capture groups, exclusions, and conditions one at a time. This distinguishes a context error from a regular-expression error.
4. Resolve AH00670 and symbolic-link restrictions
Per-directory rewriting requires Apache to permit either Options FollowSymLinks or Options SymLinksIfOwnerMatch. If neither option is enabled in the permitted directory context, Apache can reject rewrite processing and log AH00670.
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<Directory "/var/www/example/public">
AllowOverride FileInfo
Options FollowSymLinks
</Directory>Some hosts disallow changing Options from .htaccess; others permit a narrowly scoped setting such as:
Options SymLinksIfOwnerMatchUse the option already approved by the administrator, and do not loosen unrelated directory permissions to make a rewrite work. If you cannot alter the directory policy, the practical fix is a server administrator or a hosting plan that supports Apache 2.4, mod_rewrite, and customer overrides.
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5. Decide whether RewriteBase is actually required
RewriteBase supplies the URL base for relative substitutions in per-directory rewriting. It matters when the URL path and filesystem path do not line up, such as an application served through an Alias or deployed below a URL subdirectory. It does not change how a pattern matches, and it has no effect on an absolute substitution.
Relative substitution in a subdirectory
Suppose an application is exposed at /myapp/ and a rule uses a relative target:
RewriteBase /myapp/
RewriteRule ^login/?$ index.php [L]The base tells Apache how to turn the relative index.php substitution into the public URL for that deployment. Confirm the actual mount point before choosing the value; a base copied from another installation can create an incorrect path.
When not to add it
An absolute URL-path substitution such as /new-location, or a complete URL such as https://example.test/new-location, already states its destination. Adding RewriteBase in that case cannot correct a leading-slash pattern, a failed condition, or a wrong directory policy.
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6. Audit conditions, order, and terminating flags
Read each RewriteCond as a gate
Every RewriteCond immediately before a rule must evaluate true for that rule to run. Check the variable being tested, its spelling, and the exact regular expression or comparison. A correct RewriteRule still appears broken when a host, request URI, query string, or file-test condition excludes the request.
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^/old-path/?$
RewriteRule ^old-path/?$ /new-path [R=302,L]In this example, the condition includes the URL slash because REQUEST_URI is a request variable, while the rule pattern omits it because the rule is in .htaccess. Mixing those two contexts is a common source of confusion.
Follow the rules from top to bottom
Apache evaluates rules sequentially. A broad earlier rule can consume a request before a specific rule is reached. Conversely, a rule without an appropriate terminating flag can allow a later rule to rewrite the result again. Put narrow exceptions before broad catch-all rules, and add [L] when the current per-directory pass should stop after a match.
Choose L versus END deliberately
[L] stops the current rewrite pass; Apache may perform another pass after an internal rewrite. [END] is stronger and terminates per-directory rewriting for the request. Use it when an internal rewrite would otherwise re-enter the same rules, but verify compatibility with the Apache version and the rest of the application. A flag cannot repair a pattern that never matched.
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Detect loops
Redirect loops and repeated internal rewrites usually occur when the target also satisfies the original rule. Add an explicit exclusion for the destination, test the request URI and filename conditions, and inspect the trace log before adding more flags. Do not mask a loop by stacking redirects; make the source and destination mutually distinguishable.
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When the configuration and syntax look correct, make Apache’s decision visible. In server configuration, temporarily set:
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LogLevel alert rewrite:trace3Request the failing URL once, then read the Apache error log. Trace output shows which pattern was tested, whether conditions passed, and what substitution was selected. It can also reveal a rule being applied in a different directory than expected.
Trace logging is verbose and can expose request details, so use it only for the short reproduction window and then remove it or return the log level to its normal value. If you lack error-log access, ask the administrator for the relevant trace lines; guessing from browser output alone hides the distinction between “file ignored,” “pattern failed,” and “target generated a 404.”
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems8. Debug redirects with 302 before using 301
A permanent redirect is commonly cached by browsers and intermediary systems. If you previously sent visitors to the wrong destination with a 301, correcting the rule may appear ineffective because the client reuses the old response.
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^old-path/?$ /new-path [R=302,L]Test that rule in a private window or with a client whose redirect cache you can clear. Once the destination is confirmed, change the response to R=301 if the move is genuinely permanent. Keep the temporary status while diagnosing; it makes each change observable and avoids creating another sticky result.
Working rule patterns for common deployments
Document-root redirect
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^old-path/?$ /new-path [R=302,L]The pattern is slashless because this is a document-root .htaccess. The substitution begins with a slash because it is an absolute URL-path destination.
Internal rewrite to an application entry point
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^products/([^/]+)/?$ index.php?product=$1 [END]The captured product name is passed to the application without exposing index.php in the browser’s address bar. Add conditions only after this basic match works, and ensure the target does not trigger the same pattern indefinitely.
Alias or mounted application
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /myapp/
RewriteRule ^dashboard/?$ index.php [L]This form is appropriate only when the application is publicly mounted below /myapp/ and the relative substitution needs that URL base. If the substitution is changed to an absolute URL path, reassess whether the base is still necessary.
Failure-specific recovery paths
Silent no-op
- Confirm the request reaches the directory containing the file.
- Check the matching
<Directory>block forAllowOverride FileInfo,AllowOverride All, or an appropriateAllowOverrideList. - Verify
mod_rewriteis loaded andRewriteEngine Onis present. - Use a minimal literal rule before restoring complex conditions.
HTTP 404 after a rewrite
- Determine whether the substitution is intended to be a filesystem path, a URL path, or an external URL.
- For a relative target, check the directory context and possible
RewriteBaserequirement. - For an absolute target, confirm the target exists and do not expect
RewriteBaseto alter it. - Use trace logging to see the exact substitution Apache generated.
HTTP 500 or AH00670
- Read the error log rather than changing the regular expression first.
- Enable
FollowSymLinksorSymLinksIfOwnerMatchwhere policy permits. - Check for unknown directives that indicate a missing module or disallowed override.
Redirect loop
- Compare the incoming URL with the post-rewrite URL.
- Exclude the destination from the source pattern or condition.
- Use
[END]where repeated per-directory passes are the cause. - Trace one request and remove verbose logging immediately afterward.
Old redirect persists
- Replace 301 with 302 while testing.
- Use a private browser window or clear the relevant redirect cache.
- Retest after each change and only restore 301 after the destination is final.
A safe troubleshooting order
- Verify the exact filename, its directory, and the active document root.
- Confirm the matching
<Directory>policy permitsFileInfooverrides; remember thatAllowOverride Noneignores the file. - Confirm
mod_rewriteis available and addRewriteEngine On. - Reduce the rule to a slashless, literal per-directory pattern.
- Resolve
FollowSymLinksorSymLinksIfOwnerMatchrequirements. - Check whether a relative substitution crosses a subdirectory or Alias boundary and needs
RewriteBase. - Evaluate conditions and rule order, then choose
[L]or[END]to control subsequent passes. - Enable
LogLevel alert rewrite:trace3for one reproduction and inspect the error log. - Use a 302 and a private window for redirect tests; switch to 301 only after verification.
Server-version and hosting limits
The behavior described here follows Apache HTTP Server 2.4 and current project documentation. Defaults and the controls exposed by a hosting provider can differ by version and policy, so verify the active server version before applying a configuration copied from another environment.
If you cannot edit the relevant <Directory> block, load modules, enable the required options, or read the error log, the limitation is administrative rather than a flaw in your rule. Ask for confirmation that the server supports Apache 2.4, mod_rewrite, customer .htaccess overrides, and the needed symbolic-link option. A managed Apache host with those capabilities is the appropriate category to investigate; no amount of regex editing can bypass a server that refuses to read the file.
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