With an .htaccess file, you can define how the server which deals with the requests to your websites must act in various cases. This is a text file with directives that are carried out when someone tries to open your website and what happens next will depend on the content of the file. As an illustration, you may block a specific IP address from accessing the site, therefore the server will decline your visitor’s request, or you can forward your domain name to some other URL, so the server may redirect the visitor to the new web address. You can also use custom-made error pages or preserve any part of your site with a password, if you place an .htaccess file in the correct folder. Many widely used script-driven applications, including Joomla™, WordPress and Drupal™, use an .htaccess file to function correctly.