Redirecting URLs in Apache for PHP with .htaccess and mod_rewrite

Last update: 07-03-2024

If you're working with a PHP application hosted on an Apache server and need to redirect URLs like

domain/item/{param}

(such as domain/item/1, domain/item/2, and so on) to

domain/item

this guide will walk you through the necessary steps. We'll cover how to configure your .htaccess file and make changes to your virtual host file to achieve this. This approach is particularly useful for supporting path parameters and query parameters in PHP applications when you are using pure PHP without a framework.

Step 1: Create and Configure Your .htaccess File

The .htaccess file allows you to define rules for URL rewriting and other directives. To redirect URLs in the format domain/item/{param} to domain/item, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the root folder of your website.
2. Create a new .htaccess file if it doesn't already exist.
3. Add the following lines to your .htaccess file:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^item/(.*)$ item.php?name=$1 [L,QSA]

This configuration tells Apache to redirect any URL starting with item/ to item.php, converting the path into a query parameter with the key name. For example, the original URL:

domain/item/1?foo=bar

will be rewritten as

domain/item.php?name=1&foo=bar

with the original path appended as a query parameter.

Step 2: Edit the Virtual Host File

The virtual host file, by default named 000-default.conf, defines the settings for your website. To ensure that Apache processes your .htaccess file, you'll need to modify this file as follows:

1. Open the virtual host file in a text editor:

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

2. Add the following configuration inside the <VirtualHost> block:

    Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
    AllowOverride All
    Require all granted

This directive allows Apache to follow symbolic links and use the settings defined in your .htaccess file. The Require all granted directive ensures that all requests are allowed.

Step 3: Enable the mod_rewrite Module

Apache's mod_rewrite module is required for the rewrite rules to work. Enable this module by running the following command:

sudo a2enmod rewrite

Step 4: Restart Apache

Finally, restart Apache to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

After completing these steps, your Apache server will redirect URLs like domain/item/1 to item.php?name=1, allowing your PHP script to handle the request dynamically based on the URL parameter. This is particularly useful when you're using pure PHP without a framework, as it simplifies handling of path parameters and query parameters.

Happy coding!