With an .htaccess file, you can determine how the web server which addresses the requests to your websites should act in various scenarios. This is a text file with directives that are performed when somebody tries to open your site and what happens next is determined by the content of the file. For instance, you could block a particular IP address from opening the site, which means that the server will decline the visitor’s request, or you can forward your domain name to a different URL, so the server may direct the visitor to the new web address. You could also use personalized error pages or protect any part of your Internet site with a password, if you place an .htaccess file inside the correct folder. Many widely used script-driven applications, like WordPress, Drupal™ and Joomla™, use an .htaccess file to function efficiently.