Laravel .htaccess for Apache - PHP

When it comes to deploying a Laravel application on an Apache web server, it is crucial to configure the server properly to ensure your application runs smoothly. One of the essential files you need to have is the .htaccess file, which defines the server rules for redirecting URLs and handling requests. In this article, we will discuss the .htaccess file needed for Laravel on Apache web servers.

Enabling .htaccess

First, it's essential to make sure that Apache is configured to allow the use of .htaccess files. This can typically be done by enabling the AllowOverride all directive in your Apache configuration file.

<Directory "/path/to/your/project/public">
  AllowOverride all
</Directory>

The Laravel .htaccess File

The .htaccess file for Laravel consists of several rules that you should include to ensure your application works correctly. Here is an example .htaccess file for Laravel:

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>

    <IfModule mod_negotiation.c>
        Options -MultiViews
    </IfModule>

    RewriteEngine On

    # Redirect Trailing Slashes If Not A Folder...
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
    RewriteRule ^(.*)/$ /$1 [L,R=301]

    # Handle Front Controller...
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
    RewriteRule ^ index.php [L]

</IfModule>

Let's break down each section of the .htaccess file:

This section checks if the mod_rewrite module is enabled on the server. If it is not enabled, the rest of the rules will not be applied.

This section disables multi-view options if the mod_negotiation module is enabled. Multi-view options allow files to be served based on content negotiation, which can interfere with the routing of Laravel.

# Redirect Trailing Slashes If Not A Folder...

This section removes the trailing slash from URLs that are not folders. This ensures that your website's URLs are consistent, as trailing slashes can create duplicates of your pages, which can harm your SEO.

# Handle Front Controller...

This section redirects requests to the index.php file, Laravel's front controller. The Laravel front controller routes all requests to their appropriate controllers, ensuring that everything works together as it should.

Conclusion

When deploying a Laravel application on an Apache web server, it's essential to configure the .htaccess file correctly. The above .htaccess file handles common scenarios that may arise in a Laravel application, such as routing and URL slugs. By including these rules, you can ensure that your Laravel application runs smoothly on Apache.