Creating a clean URL with an .htaccess rewrite

1. Download a copy of the existing .htaccess from the website's document root. In File Manager, enable display of hidden files if necessary.
2. Confirm that the target file exists. In this example, /sitemap will load /files/folder/sitemap.html. These are illustrative paths; change them for your site.
3. Place the specific rule before a CMS catch-all block, outside any section that the CMS says it manages. Do not replace the whole file.

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^sitemap/?$ files/folder/sitemap.html [END]

This Apache 2.4 example matches only the requested path with an optional trailing slash. In a document-root .htaccess, the pattern does not start with a slash. If your compatible web server supports only the usual [L] flag, confirm its behavior with support before adapting the example.

1. Open https://example.com/sitemap and verify the expected content while the address remains unchanged.
2. Test unrelated pages and an address that should return 404. A broad rule should not accidentally turn missing pages into a successful home page response.
3. If both the short and original file URLs remain public, choose a canonical URL in your application or SEO configuration. Use a deliberate redirect only when you intend the browser to move.

Restore the saved file if you receive an immediate 500 response, then inspect the error log. Check rewrite support, spelling, the rule order and the real target path. Redirect loops often involve a CMS rule or HTTPS/canonical-host redirect in another layer. Test one change at a time and clear only the relevant cache after fixing the cause.

• Redirecting a page with .htaccess and checking the result
• Finding and editing .htaccess in cPanel
• Diagnosing website problems with error logs and account information
• Choosing a URL rewrite or browser redirect in Cloudflare

• Apache: per-directory URL rewriting
• Apache: .htaccess files