Using .htaccess to remove PHP file extension from URL

Question

I just finished installing a LAMP stack on Ubuntu 12, and have run into an issue with Apache's .htaccess file. I have the rewrite and redirect mods enabled, and the .htaccess file is working (the URI will redirect to 'www' if there is no 'www' present), but no matter what I try, I cannot get it to remove file extensions. I've tried the <Files> directive with no luck. My current file consists of the following:

RewriteEngine On

# Remove file extension
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteRule (.*)$ $1.php [L]

# Force www
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www\.
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://www.%{HTTP_HOST}/$1 [R=301,L]

Any suggestions on how to fix this very annoying problem?

Ben Lee · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-24 10:35:21Z

4

You don't use htaccess to do this, you use your app to remove the extensions, and htaccess to map extension-less urls to real files. This rule

# Remove file extension
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteRule (.*) $1.php [L]

Says, "if the requested resource doesn't exist as a file, look for the resource with a .php extension". So you remove the extension from all links in your app, and this rule will make the php file run without the extension. Your htaccess is fine as-is, you need to update your app.

answered Nov 24, 2012 at 10:35

Ben Lee

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10 Comments

Cora Over a year ago

I'm not really sure I follow. Update my app?

Ben Lee Over a year ago

Say you have a file at "/index.php". The above rule will let you access it by requesting "/index". The rule doesn't remove the extension. You do. The rule just finds the right file with the extension removed.

Cora Over a year ago

That is the intended goal, yes. I originally hosted via WAMP, but decided I wanted to use Linux as a better means of hosting. I have the file in place, and it adds the 'www' just fine, but when it comes to the file extension part, it gives me a 404. I know what it SHOULD do, which is interpret all extensionless files as having a .php extension, the problem lies in the fact that it won't do just that.

Ben Lee Over a year ago

Ok. Try "/$1.php" in the RewriteRule.

Cora Over a year ago

No, that doesn't seem to have helped. Still a 404 error when trying to access the homepage

|

Andreyco · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-24 10:36:42Z

2

# Apache Rewrite Rules
 <IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
  Options +FollowSymLinks
  RewriteEngine On
  RewriteBase /

# Add trailing slash to url
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !(\.[a-zA-Z0-9]{1,5}|/|#(.*))$
  RewriteRule ^(.*)$ $1/ [R=301,L]

# Remove .php-extension from url
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME}\.php -f
  RewriteRule ^([^\.]+)/$ $1.php 

# End of Apache Rewrite Rules
 </IfModule>

answered Nov 24, 2012 at 10:36

Andreyco

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1 Comment

Cora Over a year ago

I set it from the original code I posted to RewriteBase / to no avail.

Lucio · Accepted Answer · 2013-08-17 04:23:35Z

2

There is another htaccess alternative I use very successfully:

Options +FollowSymLinks

Options -Indexes

RewriteEngine On

RewriteRule ^purchase-jelly-babies$ /modules/products/jelly_babies.php [L]

RewriteRule ^/lets/use/an/asp/extension.asp$ /modules/test/asp_example.php [L]

This method not only solves your PHP extension issue but also allows you to keep your files organized no matter what those SEO idiots tell you what the URL should be.

edited Aug 17, 2013 at 4:23

Lucio

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answered Jul 2, 2013 at 14:20

Frankos

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Comments

PhearOfRayne · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-24 18:55:18Z

0

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME}\.php -f
RewriteRule ^([^\.]+)/$ $1.php

edited Jan 24, 2013 at 18:55

PhearOfRayne

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answered Nov 24, 2012 at 10:48

4EACH

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2 Comments

Cora Over a year ago

Most unfortunately, this, as have all the others, returned a 404

Cora Over a year ago

Sure is. I even went so far as to reinstall Apache, but that has left me nowhere.

McElie · Accepted Answer · 2015-06-02 07:58:54Z

0

Please try This code and tell me it performance.

  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME}.php -f
RewriteRule ^(.*)/$ $1.php

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME}.html -f
RewriteRule ^(.*)/$ $1.html

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME}.py -f
RewriteRule ^(.*)/$ $1.py

answered Jun 2, 2015 at 7:58

McElie

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Comments

ejay56 · Accepted Answer · 2014-07-09 12:26:12Z

-1

the way am doing it.

RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{THE_REQUEST} ^(.+)\.php([#?][^\ ]*)?\ HTTP/
RewriteRule ^(.+)\.php$ http://domainname.com/$1 [R=301,L]

answered Jul 9, 2014 at 12:26

ejay56

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