With an .htaccess file, you can specify how the web server which handles the requests to your web sites must act a number of situations. This is a text file with directives that are carried out when someone tries to open your Internet site and what happens next is determined by the content of the file. As an illustration, you can block a specific IP address from opening the website, therefore the server will decline the visitor’s request, or you can forward your domain to a different URL, so the server may direct the visitor to the new web address. You may also use custom-made error pages or preserve any part of your Internet site with a password, if you place an .htaccess file in the correct folder. Many popular script-driven applications, like Joomla™, Drupal™ and WordPress, use an .htaccess file to work correctly.