URL Rewrite Generator

Create powerful rewrite rules for Apache, Nginx, IIS and other web servers. Generate clean URLs, implement redirects, and enhance your site's SEO.

Source Pattern (Regex)

Use regular expressions to match URLs. Example: ^products/([0-9]+)$

Target URL

Use $1, $2, etc. to reference captured groups from the source pattern

Rule Type

Internal Rewrite

Redirect

Proxy

Server Type

Apache

Nginx

IIS

.htaccess

Advanced Options

Conditions

Redirect Type

Rewrite Rule

Your rewrite rule will appear here

Test Your Rewrite Rule

Test URL

Test results will appear here

Our URL Rewrite Tool provides web developers and server administrators with a comprehensive solution for creating and managing URL rewrite rules across different web servers. This essential tool helps you generate clean, SEO-friendly URLs, implement proper redirects, and maintain website structure while ensuring optimal server performance. Whether you're migrating websites, improving SEO, or implementing RESTful APIs, this tool offers precise rule generation with real-time validation and testing capabilities.

SEO Benefits of URL Rewriting

URL rewriting is essential for creating SEO-friendly URLs that are easy for users and search engines to understand. Clean URLs improve click-through rates and help search engines better understand your site structure.

Improved Rankings

Keywords in URLs can positively impact search rankings for relevant queries. Search engines use URL text as a ranking factor.

Better User Experience

Clean URLs are easier to read, remember, and share. Users are more likely to click on descriptive URLs in search results.

Link Building

Descriptive URLs are more likely to be used as anchor text when others link to your content, improving SEO value.

Best Practice: Use hyphens to separate words in URLs (e.g., /my-great-product) rather than underscores or spaces. Hyphens are treated as word separators by search engines.

Common Rewrite Patterns

Clean URLs

Convert dynamic URLs to static-looking paths

Source: ^products/([a-z0-9-]+)$ Target: product.php?slug=$1

Trailing Slash

Ensure consistent trailing slash usage

Source: ^(.*)/$ Target: $1 [R=301]

WWW to Non-WWW

Redirect www to non-www version

Source: ^www\.example\.com Target: example.com [R=301]

HTTPS Enforcement

Redirect HTTP to HTTPS

Condition: HTTPS off Target: https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301]

Remove File Extensions

Hide .php/.html extensions

Source: ^(.*)\.html$ Target: $1.php

Pagination

Clean pagination URLs

Source: ^blog/page/([0-9]+)$ Target: blog.php?page=$1

Implementation Guide

Apache .htaccess

Add the following code to your .htaccess file:

		RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^products/([0-9]+)$ product.php?id=$1 [L]
	

Make sure to enable the rewrite module in your Apache configuration:

		sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2
	

Nginx Server Config

Add the following code to your server block in nginx.conf:

		location / {
    try_files $uri $uri/ @rewrite;
}
location @rewrite {
    rewrite ^/products/([0-9]+)$ /product.php?id=$1 last;
}
	

After updating the configuration, reload Nginx:

		sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx
	

IIS Web.config

Add the following code to your web.config file:

		<system.webServer>
    <rewrite>
        <rules>
            <rule name="Product Rewrite">
                <match url="^products/([0-9]+)$" />
                <action type="Rewrite" url="product.php?id={R:1}" />
            </rule>
        </rules>
    </rewrite>
</system.webServer>
	

Ensure the URL Rewrite module is installed in IIS.

Important: Always test your rewrite rules in a development environment before deploying to production. Incorrect rules can cause website downtime.

About URL Rewriting

URL rewriting is a technique that allows web servers to modify URLs before processing requests. This enables the creation of clean, user-friendly URLs that map to underlying application logic.

When to Use URL Rewriting

Creating clean, SEO-friendly URLs: Convert dynamic URLs like "product.php?id=123" to "/products/123"
Migrating from an old URL structure to a new one: Maintain SEO value when changing site structure
Hiding technical implementation details: Protect your technology stack from being exposed
Implementing vanity URLs for marketing campaigns: Create memorable URLs like "/special-offer"
Creating RESTful API endpoints: Structure URLs for API resources like "/api/users/{id}"
Handling legacy URLs after site redesigns: Redirect old URLs to new locations

Best Practices

Keep URLs descriptive and keyword-rich: Use meaningful words that describe the content. For example, "/digital-camera-sony-a7" is better than "/product/123".

Maintain consistency: Use a consistent URL structure across your entire site. This helps users navigate and search engines understand your site hierarchy.

Avoid unnecessary parameters: Keep URLs as simple as possible. Remove unnecessary query parameters that don't affect content.

Use hyphens to separate words: Hyphens are more SEO-friendly than underscores. Search engines treat hyphens as word separators.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Case sensitivity issues: URLs are case-sensitive on some servers. Always use lowercase consistently.
Redirect chains: Multiple redirects in sequence (A → B → C) slow down page loading and can dilute SEO value.
Canonicalization issues: Multiple URLs pointing to the same content can dilute SEO value. Use canonical tags or redirects to consolidate.
Overly complex regex: Difficult to maintain and debug. Keep regular expressions as simple as possible.
Forgetting to test: Always test rewrite rules thoroughly in a development environment before deploying to production.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What's the difference between URL rewriting and redirecting?

A: URL rewriting changes the URL internally without the browser knowing. Redirecting sends the browser to a new URL with an HTTP status code.

Q: How do I debug rewrite rules that aren't working?

A: Enable rewrite logging on your server, start with simple rules, and test incrementally. Use our Test Rule feature to verify behavior before implementing.

Q: Can URL rewriting affect website performance?

A: Complex rewrite rules can add overhead, but for most sites the impact is negligible. Avoid overly complex regex patterns and redirect chains.

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Common Rewrite Flags

L Last rule - stop processing further rules
NC Case-insensitive matching
R Redirect to new URL
QSA Append query string from original request
NE No escaping of special characters
F Forbidden (403) response
G Gone (410) response

URL Structure Best Practices

Use descriptive words in URLs
Keep URLs short and meaningful
Use hyphens to separate words
Avoid unnecessary parameters
Implement consistent trailing slash policy
Use lowercase letters consistently
Avoid session IDs in URLs