Enable.htaccess and mod_rewrite in Apache

Many PHP apps, WordPress included, ship an .htaccess file with rewrite rules for pretty URLs. On a fresh VPS those rules often do nothing, and every page except the home page returns 404. Two settings cause almost every case: the rewrite module is not loaded, or Apache is told to ignore .htaccess files. This guide fixes both and shows how to confirm it.

Before you start

• Apache running on Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux.
• A working virtual host for your site. If you do not have one yet, follow Set up Apache virtual hosts.
• A user with sudo rights.

Why.htaccess is ignored

Apache reads .htaccess files only where the AllowOverride directive allows it. The stock Ubuntu and Debian config sets AllowOverride None for /var/www/, and the RHEL-family config does the same for /var/www/html. With None, Apache never even opens the file, so even a deliberate syntax error inside it does nothing.

Separately, RewriteEngine and RewriteRule come from mod_rewrite. If the module is not loaded and AllowOverride is on, you get a 500 error instead, because Apache does not recognise the directive.

Enable mod_rewrite

Ubuntu and Debian

sudo a2enmod rewrite

The command prints a reminder to restart Apache. Do that after the next step.

AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux

The module is loaded by default from /etc/httpd/conf.modules.d/00-base.conf. Confirm it:

httpd -M | grep rewrite

You should see rewrite_module (shared). On Ubuntu and Debian the same check is apache2ctl -M | grep rewrite.

Set AllowOverride in the Directory block

Edit your site's virtual host file, for example /etc/apache2/sites-available/example.com.conf or /etc/httpd/conf.d/example.com.conf. Add or change the <Directory> block so its path matches your DocumentRoot exactly:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/example.com/public

    <Directory /var/www/example.com/public>
        Options -Indexes +FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
</VirtualHost>

Points that trip people up:

• The path must be the folder that holds the .htaccess file, or a parent of it. A block for /var/www/html does nothing for /var/www/example.com/public.
• AllowOverride is only valid inside <Directory>. Putting it directly in <VirtualHost> gives a config error.
• +FollowSymLinks (or +SymLinksIfOwnerMatch) must be on for rewrite rules in .htaccess to run.
• If you do not want to allow everything, AllowOverride FileInfo is enough for rewrite rules, and you can add AuthConfig, Indexes or Limit as needed.

Restart and test the config

Check the syntax, then restart. A restart (not just a reload) is the safe choice after enabling a module:

sudo apachectl configtest
sudo systemctl restart apache2   # Ubuntu and Debian
sudo systemctl restart httpd     # AlmaLinux and Rocky

If configtest does not print Syntax OK, fix the reported line before restarting, or Apache will not come back up.

Check it works

Create a test rule. In your document root, add a file .htaccess with:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^rewrite-test$ /index.html [L]

Now request the made-up URL:

curl -I http://example.com/rewrite-test

A 200 OK means mod_rewrite and .htaccess both work: Apache served index.html for a path that does not exist. A 404 Not Found means the .htaccess file is still being ignored. A 500 Internal Server Error means the file is read but the module is missing or a line is wrong.

Remove the test rule afterwards, or replace it with your app's real rules. For WordPress, go to Settings → Permalinks and click Save Changes so it writes its own block.

Troubleshooting

• Still 404 on every inner page: the <Directory> path does not match your DocumentRoot, or another, more specific <Directory> block sets AllowOverride None. Search for it with grep -Rn AllowOverride /etc/apache2/ (or /etc/httpd/).
• 500 error right after adding .htaccess: read the site's error log. Invalid command 'RewriteEngine' means the module is not loaded; anything else points at a bad line. See Fix 500 Internal Server Error on Apache.
• Options FollowSymLinks or SymLinksIfOwnerMatch is off: add +FollowSymLinks to the Options line in the <Directory> block.
• Changes in .htaccess work locally but not on the server: the file was uploaded without the leading dot, or your FTP client hides dotfiles. Check with ls -la.
• A control panel or Nginx sits in front: Nginx ignores .htaccess completely. If Nginx serves the site, convert the rules to Nginx syntax instead.

Next steps

• Write the rules you need: Apache redirects with.htaccess.
• Protect a folder with a password: Password protect a folder in Apache.