How to Add .htaccess to Webflow (And What to Do Instead)

If you’re coming from WordPress or classic cPanel hosting, you’ve probably used an .htaccess file for redirects, rewrite rules, security headers, caching, gzip, basic auth, and more.

Here’s the key point:

Webflow hosting does not support .htaccess. You can’t add it, upload it, or edit anything at that server level.

That’s not because you’re missing a setting. .htaccess is an Apache configuration file, and Webflow is a managed hosting platform. You don’t get access to Apache or Nginx rules the way you would on a VPS or shared hosting. Webflow intentionally abstracts that layer so hosting stays stable, secure, and consistent across sites.

Still, most things people use .htaccess for are totally doable on Webflow. You just do them differently.

Why Webflow Doesn’t Support .htaccess

On traditional hosting, you control the server, so dropping an .htaccess file into a directory can immediately change how requests are handled.

On Webflow, you’re not running your own server. You’re publishing to a managed environment where that configuration is not editable per project. That’s why there is no “upload .htaccess” feature, and why putting an .htaccess file into Assets wouldn’t do anything. At best it becomes a file someone can download.

Note: For advanced server-level needs (like custom security headers), Webflow may offer additional options on Enterprise Site plans. For the most accurate, up-to-date details, check with Webflow Support.

The Most Common .htaccess Tasks and Webflow Alternatives

1) 301 Redirects (Rewrite and Redirect Rules)

This is the most common reason people look for .htaccess after moving to Webflow.

Typical .htaccess goals:

• Redirect old URLs to new ones
• Fix slugs after a migration
• Preserve SEO when pages move

Webflow’s built-in alternative:

• Project Settings
• Hosting tab
• 301 Redirects section

Add rules like:

• Old Path: /old-page
• New Path: /new-page

A couple of practical notes:

• Use relative paths (like /blog/post) instead of full URLs.
• If you’re migrating a large site, create and validate a redirect list before you publish.

If you need pattern-based or wildcard redirects (regex-like behavior), Webflow’s redirect manager won’t cover that fully. In that case, Cloudflare (or external hosting) becomes the tool.

2) WWW vs Non-WWW and HTTP to HTTPS

In .htaccess, you’d typically force HTTPS and choose the canonical domain version.

Webflow handles this directly:

• Project Settings
• Hosting
• Enable SSL
• Choose your default domain (www or root)
• Publish

That covers the “canonical + SSL enforcement” setup for most sites without writing any server rules.

3) Password Protection and Basic Auth

People often expect a classic “basic auth popup” because that’s what .htaccess does.

Webflow alternatives:

• Site-wide password protection: Project Settings → Publishing → Password protection
• Page-level password protection: depends on plan/features

If you need “true” Basic Auth (browser popup style), IP allowlisting, or a more enterprise-style gate in front of the site, the usual approach is Cloudflare Access / Zero Trust in front of Webflow.

4) Security Headers (HSTS, X-Frame-Options, CSP, Referrer-Policy, etc.)

This is where a lot of teams get stuck, especially if they’re trying to meet a security checklist.

On standard Webflow plans, you cannot set response headers directly. That means you can’t manually add things like CSP, HSTS, X-Content-Type-Options, or custom referrer policies the way you would in .htaccess.

The practical workaround is to put Webflow behind an edge layer, most commonly Cloudflare, and set headers there using:

• Transform Rules (response header modifications)
• Cloudflare Workers (most flexible)
• Cloudflare’s managed security settings

This approach is popular because you keep Webflow’s publishing workflow, but gain control at the edge.

5) Caching Rules and Cache-Control

On Apache, you might set long cache headers for assets or tune caching for specific paths.

Webflow uses a CDN and handles caching automatically, but you can’t define custom cache headers from within Webflow hosting.

If you need more control:

• Cloudflare caching rules
• Cloudflare Workers for granular behavior

6) Gzip or Brotli Compression

On classic hosting, you’d enable compression via .htaccess.

On Webflow, compression and CDN optimization are handled on their side. There’s no .htaccess switch for it.

If you need strict control or want to enforce particular behavior across routes, Cloudflare in front gives you more knobs.

7) Custom Rewrite Rules (Pretty URLs, legacy routing)

This is where .htaccess shines and where Webflow’s native features can hit a limit.

Examples:

• Rewrite /product?id=123 to /product/123
• Rewrite directories to templates
• Handle complex legacy URL patterns

Webflow-friendly approach:

• Use CMS structure properly (Collections and template pages)
• Use Webflow 301 redirects for specific cases

For complex rewrites:

• Cloudflare Workers can rewrite requests before they ever hit Webflow
• Or export Webflow code and host it somewhere you control routing (Netlify, Vercel, Apache)

If You Really Need .htaccess: Your Two Real Options

Option A: Put Webflow Behind Cloudflare (Best for most cases)

This keeps Webflow as your builder and host, but adds a controllable “edge layer” where you can:

• Do advanced redirects (including wildcard patterns)
• Add and manage security headers
• Add access control (basic auth-like gates, IP rules)
• Rewrite requests
• Add caching rules

Most teams choose this because it adds power without breaking the Webflow publishing workflow.

Option B: Export Webflow Code and Host Elsewhere

If your plan and project allow code export and you’re not relying heavily on Webflow-native dynamic hosting features, you can:

• Export HTML/CSS/JS from Webflow
• Host on a platform where you can define rewrites and headers:
  • Netlify (via netlify.toml or _headers)
  • Vercel
  • A real Apache server (then you can use .htaccess again)

Tradeoff: you get full control, but you lose some of Webflow’s “publish and forget” conveniences and certain native features.

Quick Decision Guide

• Need simple redirects? Use Webflow 301 Redirects
• Need HTTPS + canonical domain? Use Webflow Hosting settings
• Need security headers, advanced redirects, access control? Use Cloudflare
• Need full server control and real .htaccess? Export and host elsewhere

FAQ

Can I upload .htaccess to Webflow via Assets?
No. Uploading a file doesn’t make it a server config file. It will just sit there as a downloadable asset.

Can Webflow do regex or wildcard redirects?
Webflow redirects are mostly path-to-path. For advanced patterns, Cloudflare Workers (or external hosting) is the typical solution.

What’s the closest equivalent to .htaccess in Webflow?
A combination of Webflow 301 redirects, SSL/domain controls, and an edge layer like Cloudflare if you need headers or rewrites.

Wrap-up

You can’t add .htaccess to Webflow hosting, but you can still achieve most of what people use it for by combining:

• Webflow’s built-in hosting controls
• Webflow’s 301 redirect manager
• Cloudflare for headers, rewrites, security, and access control
• Or code export and external hosting when you truly need server-level behavior