Redirecting and rewriting URLs is a common practice in web development, and it can be achieved using the mod_rewrite module in Apache’s .htaccess file. Below are examples of how to redirect and rewrite URLs for different scenarios:

1. Redirecting from HTTP to HTTPS:

To redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS, use the following code in your .htaccess file:

apache
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
</IfModule>

This code checks if the connection is not using HTTPS and redirects to the equivalent HTTPS URL.

2. Redirecting a Specific Page:

To redirect a specific page to another page, use the following code:

apache
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^old-page$ /new-page [L,R=301]
</IfModule>

This code redirects requests from /old-page to /new-page.

3. Removing File Extensions:

To rewrite URLs to hide file extensions (e.g., .php), use the following code:

apache
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME}.php -f
RewriteRule ^([^\.]+)$ $1.php [NC,L]
</IfModule>

This code allows you to access example.com/page instead of example.com/page.php.

4. URL Parameters to Path:

To rewrite URLs with parameters to a path structure, use the following code:

apache
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^category/([^/]+)/?$ index.php?category=$1 [L,QSA]
</IfModule>

This code rewrites example.com/category/category-name to example.com/index.php?category=category-name.

5. Custom 404 Page:

To redirect all 404 errors to a custom error page, use the following code:

apache
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
ErrorDocument 404 /404.html
</IfModule>

Replace /404.html with the path to your custom 404 error page.

Important Notes:

• Always make a backup of your .htaccess file before making changes.
• Test your redirects and rewrites to ensure they work as expected.
• Be mindful of the order of rules, as they are processed in the order they appear in the file.
• Regularly check your website for unexpected behavior and adjust rules accordingly.

These examples provide a starting point for common URL redirection and rewriting scenarios. Customize them based on your specific requirements and website structure.