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Protecting Your 
Website with a htaccess file



Protect Your Website with a htaccess file?

The htaccess file is just one way of protecting your website. If you've just put your website online, and you are new to the Internet Marketing arena, you may not realize how vulnerable you are to attack. Or, you know, and just don't know what to do, how to do it, or expect it to be to difficult to do.

First, let's get the "it's too difficult" idea out of the way. It's not difficult to set up an htaccess file. Below, I'll try to explain how to set up an htaccess file and how to bring it online to your server. So let's begin.



htaccess

In most cases you will have to create your own htaccess file, but yes, some web hosting services are beginning to offer services to help you create an htaccess file. If you're one of the few that have this service, you're in luck. But for those who need an htaccess file-it's time to explain, first, what an htaccess file is.

The  htaccess file (hypertext access) allows you to customize your configuration to specify security restriction for your directory or directories, password protect areas on your site, deny or allow IP addresses, and deny or allow search engines, and customize your error responses (such as 404 errors or rewriting your urls). And it is important. Why? Though the robots.txt file (You'll find a link that will take you to a webpage on how to create a robots.txt file below) is your first line of defense. Some robots, if they don't want to listen, will ignore your instructions in your robots.txt file and take what they can without your permissions. This is where the htaccess file takes center stage - in your next line of defense.


How do you create an .htaccess file?

The htaccess file is created as a text file (htaccess.txt). After creating the file, you would FTP the file to your server, than rename the htaccess.txt to .htaccess. Please note you need the (.)period before the name and no ".txt" at the end, when you rename the file on your server.

To create an htaccess file you will only need notepad. Yes, an htaccess file begins as a text file and will be renamed when you put it on your server. You will have to put a period (.) in front of htaccess and drop the text (txt) extension at the end.

Next, you will determine what elements you want to place in your file. Below you find different commands that will help you with different areas of concern for your website.


Custom error pages and htaccess


Error pages and htaccess work hand in hand. If you create a custom error page you will place instructions within your htaccess file on how visitors and robots can interact with the page.

Creating error pages is not difficult if you know the type of error you are wanting to use. For example: Custom 404 error message is "no page found" error. This error page can pop up when the following events happen:

• Broken link
• Page has been deleted
• Mistyped url
• Server Offline

<Limit GET POST>
Order Allow,Deny
Allow from all
Deny from env=bad_bot
</Limit>
(The ^ code in front of CherryPicker indicates the command of "anything that begins with")

The code <Limit GET POST> goes at the bottom, it gives instructions to deny access to all that you put in your list.

The "#" is just a symbol for a comment



Configuring your htaccess file and redirects

The best way to create a redirect is through the htaccess file. If you are contemplating use a META redirect (that occurs within the <HEAD> of your web page) please reconsider. Why?

Many search engines have troubles with this one and spammers use it in bad ways. Since the robots do not know a good guy, from a bad guy, you may find yourself inadvertently banned by the search engines.  With that being said, this is how you can do a redirect.

Redirect of a single page:

Redirect 301 /oldpage.html
http://www.example.com/newpage.html


Redirect of a whole site:

Redirect 301 /http://www.example.com/




Are there any other backend tools that you should have on your server to protect your website? Yes. It's a Robots.txt file.

Next: Create Robots.txt File