With an .htaccess file, you can determine how the server which manages the requests to your websites should act in a variety of scenarios. This is a text file with directives that are carried out when someone tries to open your site and what happens next is determined by the content of the file. As an illustration, you can block a certain IP address from opening the Internet site, which means that the server will decline the visitor’s request, or you can redirect your domain to an alternative URL, so the server may direct the visitor to the new web address. You can also use custom error pages or preserve any part of your Internet site with a password, if you place an .htaccess file in the correct folder. Many widespread script-driven applications, like Joomla™, WordPress and Drupal™, use an .htaccess file to function efficiently.