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The safest way to create a default WordPress .htaccess file is to regenerate it from the WordPress dashboard: open Settings > Permalinks, select a permalink structure other than the default/plain option, and click Save Changes. WordPress writes the current rewrite rules into the file when it can create or update a writable .htaccess. If it cannot write the file, the same screen displays the rules so you can copy them into .htaccess yourself.
This process is for Apache-style hosting with mod_rewrite. It does not create an IIS web.config, and WordPress multisite does not perform the automatic .htaccess write described here.
What “default WordPress .htaccess” means
WordPress does not use one permanent block of text that is identical on every installation. The generated content depends on your permalink structure and on where WordPress is installed. A site installed at the domain root receives different path values from a site installed in a subdirectory. Current WordPress releases can also add rules that older examples do not show.
For that reason, the reliable definition of a default file is the block WordPress generates for your own site. It appears between the markers # BEGIN WordPress and # END WordPress. Do not copy a block from an old tutorial when the Permalinks screen can generate the correct one for your installation.
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The WordPress-managed block normally enables rewriting, establishes the installation’s base path, excludes requests that already map to a real file or directory, and routes other requests to index.php for WordPress to process. The exact directives can change with the WordPress version, permalink setting, and installation path.
Before you generate the file
Confirm that the server uses Apache rewriting
This method assumes an Apache server, or a compatible server configuration that honors Apache .htaccess rules and has mod_rewrite enabled. Pretty permalinks require that rewrite module. On IIS, .htaccess is not the mechanism used for these routes; the equivalent configuration belongs in the server’s IIS routing configuration instead.
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Know where the file belongs
Place .htaccess in the directory that contains the WordPress installation. On a normal root installation, that is the document root alongside files such as wp-admin, wp-content, and wp-includes. A subdirectory installation uses the subdirectory as its base, and the generated rules include that path.
Back up an existing file
If an .htaccess already exists, download or copy it before regenerating anything. WordPress updates only the section bounded by its two markers, but a backup protects custom redirects, security directives, or hosting rules if you need to restore them.
Method 1: Generate it from the WordPress dashboard
This is the preferred method because WordPress calculates the current rules for your version and installation path.
- Sign in to the WordPress administrator dashboard.
- Open Settings > Permalinks.
- Choose a permalink structure other than the default/plain option. A plain structure does not require the usual pretty-permalink rewrite block, so WordPress may not insert those rules while that option is selected.
- Scroll to the bottom and click Save Changes, even if you did not change another setting.
- Test a front-end page, a post, and an administrative URL in a new browser request.
Saving the page flushes the permalink rules. When .htaccess exists and is writable, WordPress replaces the contents of its own marked block with the rules for the selected structure. If the file is absent, WordPress may attempt to create it when pretty permalinks are activated. Whether that succeeds depends on the account and directory permissions supplied by your host.
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In a successful automatic update, the Permalinks screen returns without asking you to edit a file, and previously broken pretty URLs begin resolving. You can inspect the file through your host’s file manager, SFTP, or another file-management tool. Keep any unrelated directives outside the WordPress markers because the next save can replace everything inside those markers.
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Why selecting a non-plain structure matters
The default/plain permalink option can serve URLs without the front-controller rewrite rules used by pretty permalinks. Selecting a date, post-name, numeric, or other non-plain structure gives WordPress a reason to generate the rewrite block. The labels available in your dashboard can vary by WordPress version, but the important distinction is plain versus a pretty structure.
Method 2: Copy the rules when WordPress cannot write the file
When the file is missing, owned by another account, or not writable, WordPress normally shows a notice similar to “You should update your .htaccess now” and places the generated rules in a text box. Treat that text box as the authoritative content for your site.
- Leave Settings > Permalinks open and select the desired non-plain permalink structure.
- Click Save Changes.
- When WordPress displays the manual-update notice, select the entire contents of its text box, not just one or two lines.
- Open the WordPress installation directory in your host’s file manager or an SFTP client.
- Create a file named exactly
.htaccess. It has no filename before the dot and no extension afterhtaccess. - Paste the complete generated text into the file and save it as plain text.
- Return to the site and test a pretty URL, the home page, and
/wp-admin/.
Do not substitute a block copied from an old article. The current text box reflects your selected structure and installation path, and newer WordPress versions can contain a rule that older examples omit.
If your file manager will not create a dot file
Some local Windows tools make it difficult to create a filename beginning with a dot. Use the hosting control panel’s file manager, an SFTP client that supports dot files, or create the file locally with a tool that permits the exact name and then upload it. Confirm after uploading that the name is .htaccess, not .htaccess.txt.
Permissions and ownership
Developers commonly recommend permission mode 644 for .htaccess, but that is a common recommendation rather than a universal WordPress requirement. The web-server account must be able to read the file, and WordPress needs the necessary write access when you want dashboard regeneration. If the host controls ownership or blocks writes at the directory level, changing the numeric mode alone may not solve the problem; ask the host to correct ownership or use the manual method.
What the generated block does
| Part of the block | Purpose | What to know |
|---|---|---|
# BEGIN WordPress and # END WordPress |
Marks the section WordPress manages. | WordPress can replace this section whenever you save Permalinks. Keep custom directives outside it. |
| Rewrite-engine and module guard | Enables rewriting only when the required Apache module is available. | The generated block is wrapped in an Apache IfModule condition so unsupported servers do not process those directives. |
| Base-path setting | Tells Apache which URL path represents the WordPress installation. | The value differs for a root install and a subdirectory install. |
| File and directory exclusions | Leaves requests for real files and directories alone. | The conditions commonly check that the requested path is not an existing file and not an existing directory. |
| Front-controller rule | Sends remaining requests to index.php. |
WordPress then resolves the requested post, page, archive, or other route. |
| Version-specific additions | Handles edge cases in newer releases. | Some newer blocks skip index.php itself. Copy your current generated block rather than guessing which additions apply. |
This table describes the function of the generated rules, not a replacement for the text WordPress displays. The exact syntax is intentionally installation-specific.
Root installation versus subdirectory installation
WordPress installed at the domain root
For an installation whose files are directly in the site’s document root, the base path is the root URL. The generated final rule therefore targets the root-level index.php. Do not add a directory name that is not part of the actual installation path.
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WordPress installed in a subdirectory
If the files live in a directory such as /blog, the generated RewriteBase and final rewrite target include that path. A root-installation example pasted into a subdirectory site can produce failed links or redirect loops. Generate the block from that site’s own Permalinks screen so the path is calculated correctly.
Keep custom rules outside the WordPress markers
Redirects, access restrictions, cache directives, and other hand-written rules should appear before # BEGIN WordPress or after # END WordPress. If you place them inside the managed block, a future permalink save can delete or alter them. Put the most specific custom redirects before broad catch-all rules, and keep a backup before editing.
If a plugin or hosting panel has inserted its own managed section, do not merge unrelated directives into the WordPress section. Preserve each tool’s markers so that each system can update only the lines it owns.
Repair a missing or stale .htaccess file
Regenerate without changing the visible setting
A common first repair is to open Settings > Permalinks and click Save Changes again. This flushes the rewrite rules even when the permalink choice stays the same. Test the site immediately afterward.
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If the existing file contains stale or damaged WordPress rules, download it as a backup and rename it, for example to a non-active backup filename. Save the Permalinks screen again so WordPress can create a fresh .htaccess or display the manual text. Do not delete the backup until the site and any custom redirects have been checked.
When the dashboard still cannot update it
Use the complete text displayed by WordPress and save it manually. If that fails, verify the directory location, filename, ownership, and read permissions. A server that does not load mod_rewrite will not honor the generated Apache rules, even when the file itself is present.
Multisite and IIS limitations
WordPress multisite
WordPress’s automatic rewrite-file function does not run for multisite; the function returns no generated write result in that configuration. Multisite networks therefore require the network’s documented server configuration and any rules appropriate to the chosen subdirectory or subdomain setup. Do not assume that saving one site’s Permalinks screen will safely rewrite the network’s file.
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IIS hosting
IIS does not support Apache mod_rewrite or .htaccess processing. If the site is hosted on IIS, this guide’s file-generation method is not the route configuration you need. Use the IIS-compatible rewrite and routing configuration supplied for that server environment instead.
Verification checklist after creation
- Confirm the file is in the directory containing the WordPress installation.
- Confirm its exact name is
.htaccess, with no hidden.txtextension. - Confirm the selected permalink structure is not plain/default.
- Open a published post or page directly, not only the home page.
- Open an archive or another pretty URL to check that routing works across more than one request type.
- Open
/wp-admin/and log in again if the test session expired. - Check that existing custom redirects still work.
- If the file is rewritten again, verify that custom rules remain outside the WordPress markers.
- If every pretty URL fails while the file looks correct, have the host confirm that Apache rewriting is enabled and that the server is actually reading this directory’s
.htaccess.
Common mistakes and their fixes
Using an old code sample
Symptom: The site has a block copied from a tutorial, but links still return 404 errors or behave differently from the dashboard’s current output.
Fix: Select the desired structure and save Permalinks. Use the full block WordPress generates for this installation and version.
Leaving the permalink setting on plain
Symptom: Saving the screen does not produce the expected pretty-permalink rules.
Fix: Select a non-plain structure, save again, and then inspect the file or manual text.
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Editing inside the managed block
Symptom: A redirect or security rule disappears after a later permalink change.
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Creating the file in the wrong directory
Symptom: The file exists in the account’s home directory, but WordPress URLs are unchanged.
Fix: Move it to the web directory containing the WordPress files and regenerate the rules.
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Expecting .htaccess to solve an IIS or module problem
Symptom: The file is present and readable, but Apache directives have no effect.
Fix: Identify the web server, then enable the required Apache rewrite module or use the server’s IIS-compatible configuration.
Which creation method should you use?
| Situation | Best method | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| The file exists and WordPress can write it | Dashboard generation | It calculates and maintains the current block automatically. |
| The file is missing but the host permits creation | Dashboard generation first | WordPress may create it when pretty permalinks are activated. |
| The screen displays a manual-update notice | Copy and paste the displayed text | The text is tailored to the site’s structure and path. |
| You need custom redirects or server directives | Either method, with custom rules outside the markers | WordPress can regenerate its section without overwriting the separate rules. |
| The site is multisite | Network-specific server configuration | The automatic write function does not run for multisite. |
| The site runs on IIS | IIS rewrite configuration | .htaccess and Apache mod_rewrite are not used by IIS. |
Frequently asked questions
Can I paste a “default” block from another WordPress site?
You can, but it may contain the wrong base path, omit rules present in your release, or assume a different permalink structure. Generate the block in the target site’s own Permalinks screen instead.
Does saving Permalinks change my posts or pages?
It changes the server rewrite rules used to resolve URLs. It does not rewrite the content of your posts or pages, but changing the public permalink structure can change their URLs and may require redirects.
Should I remove every existing line before pasting?
Only replace the WordPress-managed section when one is present. Preserve unrelated custom rules after backing up the file, and place future custom rules outside the managed markers.
Why does WordPress show the rules instead of saving them?
The file or its directory is not writable by the account WordPress uses, or the file is missing and the server prevents its creation. Copy the complete displayed block manually, then correct permissions or ownership if you want dashboard updates to work later.
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