PrestaShop What is htaccess file

In PrestaShop, the A .htaccess file is a configuration file used by the Apache web server. It controls how your website behaves without changing the main server configuration.

Common uses in PrestaShop:

• SEO Friendly URLs
  Enables clean URLs like:

  yoursite.com/product-name
  

  instead of:

  yoursite.com/index.php?id_product=1
  

• Redirects
  Redirect old pages to new pages.
• Security Rules
  Block access to sensitive files or folders.
• Caching & Performance
  Enable browser caching and compression.
• Force HTTPS
  Automatically redirect HTTP to HTTPS.
• Custom Error Pages
  Show custom 404 pages.

Typical PrestaShop .htaccess location:

/public_html/.htaccess

or in your PrestaShop root folder.

Example:

# Force HTTPS
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

# Enable friendly URLs
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteRule . index.php [L]

In PrestaShop, the .htaccess file is usually generated automatically when you:

• Enable “Friendly URL”
• Save SEO settings
• Clear cache

Path in admin:
Shop Parameters → Traffic & SEO

Important:

• Wrong edits can break the website.
• Always keep a backup before editing .htaccess.