What is .htaccess and how can it help me with Google?

[oldeesee]

What is .htaccess and how can it help me with Google?

[konna2008]

What you can do with your .htaccess totally depends on your site and server. For example if you have such URLs (www.domain.com?category=22&product=12) you may turn them into www.domain.com/apparel/tshirts/yourproduct
All translation could be done using the .htaccess file.

[auryn]

The usage of .htaccess:

Authorization, authentication
.htaccess files are often used to specify the security restrictions for the particular directory, hence the filename "access". The .htaccess file is often accompanied by a .htpasswd file which stores valid usernames and their passwords.[3]
Rewriting URLs
Servers often use .htaccess to rewrite long, overly comprehensive URLs to shorter and more memorable ones.
Blocking
Use allow/deny to block users by IP address or domain. Also, use to block bad bots, rippers and referrers.
SSI
Enable server-side includes.
Directory listing
Control how the server will react when no specific web page is specified.
Customized error responses
Changing the page that is shown when a server-side error occurs, for example HTTP 404 Not Found.
MIME types
Instruct the server how to treat different varying file types.
Cache Control
.htaccess files allow a server to control caching by web browsers and proxies to reduce bandwidth usage, server load, and perceived lag.

.htaccess - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia