Does it simulate mod_rewrite exactly?

Faithfully for the common cases (RewriteRule, RewriteCond, [L], [R=301], [QSA], [NC], [F]). Edge cases like RewriteMap or per-server-config variables aren't handled — those need a real Apache install to test.

Can I test redirect chains?

Yes — without [L] flags, rules cascade. Each rewritten URL is fed into the next rule's match. The tool shows each step so you can see which rule produced the final URL.

What about .htaccess in nginx?

Nginx doesn't use .htaccess. Equivalent rewrite rules live in nginx.conf with different syntax (return 301 vs RewriteRule). Use the nginx-location-tester instead for nginx config.

apache · rewrite · redirect · simulator

Test .htaccess rules

Q: Is anything sent to a server?

No — the simulator runs in your browser.

Paste your .htaccess and a path. Simulate RewriteRule and Redirect directives without deploying. All evaluation runs locally.

.htaccess Tester

Match

yes

rule fired

Status

301

redirect

Path

old-page

input

Result

→

rewrote

input · .htaccess

output · trace

→ /new-page

Status 301 · RewriteRule ^old-page$ /new-page [R=301,L]

Supports RewriteRule with R/R=NNN/L flags and Redirect directives. Conditions (RewriteCond) and server-side variables aren't simulated.

Quick Start

How to test .htaccess rules

Simulating rewrites locally saves you cycles vs deploying and re-deploying. This tester evaluates the first matching directive.

01
Paste rules
Drop your existing .htaccess into the left panel. Comments and blank lines are ignored.
Lookups reference the IANA registries (MIME, HTTP status, TLDs) bundled at build time — no live network calls, no rate limits, no leaked queries.
pasteIANAregistryofflinelive
input · queryrules · IANA
```
RewriteRule ^old$ /new
```
loaded · IANA bundlespec · ready
02
Enter test path
Without leading slash for RewriteRule; with leading slash for Redirect.
Builders emit canonical syntax per the relevant RFC (9110 for HTTP, 5322 for headers, 3986 for URLs) so the output passes spec-compliant parsers.
pathRFC 9110canonicalspec-compliantlive
path · optionsold-page · live
```
old-page
```
options applied · livecanonical
03
Inspect match
First matching directive wins. Output shows the resulting path and status.
Validation flags common pitfalls — uppercase header names, smart quotes inside Content-Type, missing ;charset=utf-8 — before they bite production.
matchvalidationlintpitfallslive
result · looked uprewrite · ready
```
→ /new-page
```
result · livevalidated
04
Copy summary
Share the trace in a PR review or incident channel.
Copy writes the snippet directly into your clipboard; downloads emit the right extension and MIME so curl/httpie pick them up correctly.
shareclipboardMIME-correctblobcurl-ready
ok · copiedready · done
```
✓ Copied
```
shipped · ready to shipsuccess

Pro tips

Web-spec details that bite later

Idempotency saves retries

POST/PUT/DELETE should be safely retried. Use idempotency keys and return the same response on duplicate requests.

Match RFC 9110 status codes

Don’t invent codes. 422 for validation errors, 409 for conflicts, 429 for rate limits. Standard codes work with off-the-shelf clients.

Set <code>Cache-Control</code> deliberately

Default browser caching is conservative. Use max-age + stale-while-revalidate for hot endpoints.

Validate Open Graph in dev

OG tags break silently. Use a previewer like OG Generator + Facebook’s debugger before launch.

CORS is a server concern

The browser sends the preflight; the server decides. Wildcard origins disable credentials — be explicit.

MIME drives behaviour

Servers must send the right Content-Type. Browsers sniff but the spec says they shouldn’t — be explicit to avoid surprises.

Use Cases

When to test .htaccess

Pre-deploy verification, regex debugging, migration QA.

Pre-deploy

Check your rewrite before pushing live. Bundled from IANA registries at build time — no live network call, no rate limit, no leaked queries. The MIME, TLD, and status-code tables are baked in so the tool works offline once loaded.

spec-compliant

Regex sanity

Verify capture groups and substitutions. Output is canonical per the relevant RFC (9110 for HTTP, 5322 for headers, 3986 for URLs), so spec-compliant parsers accept it as-is. Cross-browser and cross-library behaviour stays consistent.

offline

Bulk migration

Spot-check redirect maps after a content move. Pairs with the curl-to-fetch converter for end-to-end test stubs — copy the curl from DevTools, paste, get an idiomatic fetch() body. Drop into Playwright/Vitest fixtures without manual translation.

IANA-backed

Status codes

Confirm R=301 vs R=302 expectations. Catches common pitfalls (uppercase header names, smart quotes inside Content-Type, missing ;charset=utf-8) before they bite production. Validation flags rather than auto-corrects so you stay in control.

RFC-aligned

Order issues

First match wins — find the rule that's eating your path. Validation runs as you type — copy only when the output is shaped correctly. The output drops directly into nginx, Apache, or CDN configs without re-formatting or re-quoting.

production-grade

PR review

Share the trace as evidence in code review. Same input plus same options always produces identical canonical output, so the tool is safe to embed in CI scripts that diff against expected configs.

curl-ready

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does this run real Apache?

No — it's a simulator. Conditions (RewriteCond), per-directory contexts and server variables aren't evaluated.

Why doesn't my rule match?

RewriteRule patterns match against the path without the leading slash. Redirects match with the slash.

Order vs flags?

[L] stops processing at the matched rule. First match in document order wins anyway in this simulator.

Can I test multiple paths?

One at a time. Paste a different path to re-evaluate.

Is anything sent to a server?

No — evaluation runs locally in your browser.

Suggest a tool

Something missing?

Tell us what you need. We ship the top requests every two weeks.

47 in queue·8 shipped this month

Request queued. Thanks!