---
title: "How to Edit the .htaccess File in the cPanel File Manager"
description: "Show hidden files in the cPanel File Manager to find, create and edit your .htaccess file, and recover quickly if a change causes a 500 error."
url: "https://docs.noiz.ie/cpanel/how-to-edit-the-htaccess-file-in-the-cpanel-file-manager/"
section: "cPanel"
categories:
  - "Control Panels > cPanel > Files"
last_reviewed: "27 July 2026, against the current cPanel & WHM release"
---

# How to Edit the .htaccess File in the cPanel File Manager

The `.htaccess` file is a per-directory Apache configuration file that controls redirects, URL rewriting, access rules, custom error pages and more for your website. This guide shows you how to find, create and edit `.htaccess` safely from the **File Manager** in cPanel, without needing FTP or SSH access.

The file name begins with a dot, which makes it a hidden file, so it will not appear in File Manager until you enable hidden files. That is the step most people miss.

**Last reviewed:** 27 July 2026, against the current cPanel & WHM release. This guide is written for Noiz hosting and is kept current against cPanel. It complements, and does not replace, the official cPanel and Apache documentation linked below.

### Official Documentation Reference

- [cPanel & WHM: File Manager](https://docs.cpanel.net/cpanel/files/file-manager/)
- [Apache HTTP Server: .htaccess files](https://httpd.apache.org/docs/current/howto/htaccess.html)

## Prerequisites

- An active Noiz cPanel hosting account and your login details.
- Knowing which website or directory the change applies to. A site's document root is usually the `public_html` directory.

## Editing .htaccess in File Manager

1. Log in to your cPanel account.
2. In the **Files** section, click **File Manager**. ![The File Manager icon in the Files section of cPanel](/img/filemanager-icon.gif)
3. Navigate to the directory that holds the `.htaccess` file. To edit the `.htaccess` file for your main website, open the `public_html` directory.
4. If the `.htaccess` file is not visible, click **Settings** at the top right of the File Manager toolbar, tick **Show Hidden Files (Dotfiles)** in the dialog, and click **Save**. The `.htaccess` file should now appear. If it still does not exist, create a new file named `.htaccess` in that directory. ![The Show Hidden Files (Dotfiles) option ticked in the File Manager settings dialog](/img/hidden-htaccess-paperlantern.gif)
5. Right-click the `.htaccess` file and choose **Edit** from the context menu. ![Right-click context menu on the .htaccess file with Edit highlighted](/img/filemanager-htaccess.gif)
6. If an encoding confirmation dialog appears, click **Edit** to continue. ![The File Manager edit confirmation dialog](/img/filemanager-htaccess-edit-menu.gif)
7. Make your changes, then click **Save Changes**. The change takes effect immediately on the next page load. ![Editing the contents of the .htaccess file in the File Manager code editor](/img/filemanager--htaccess-edit.gif)

## Before You Save: Back Up First

A single syntax error in `.htaccess` can take your whole site offline with a `500 Internal Server Error`, because Apache reads the file on every request. Before editing, copy the existing contents into a plain text file, or use **Copy** in File Manager to keep a backup such as `.htaccess.bak`. If a change breaks the site, restore the backup or remove the lines you added and save again.

## Troubleshooting

**The site returns a 500 error after saving**: the most recent edit contains invalid syntax or a directive your server does not permit. Restore your backup, or comment out the new lines by adding `#` at the start of each line, and save.

**The .htaccess file still will not appear**: confirm **Show Hidden Files (Dotfiles)** is enabled and that you are in the correct directory. If the file genuinely does not exist yet, use **+ File** in the toolbar to create one named `.htaccess` (note the leading dot and no file extension).

Need a hand? Noiz support can review or edit your `.htaccess` file for you. Open a ticket from your Noiz client area and the team will assist.

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Source: https://docs.noiz.ie/cpanel/how-to-edit-the-htaccess-file-in-the-cpanel-file-manager/