> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://dokumentation.websale.de/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Server configuration ws_access.conf

> The shop's Apache access configuration: where it is located, what it typically contains, which section is managed by a service, and what you need to watch out for when editing it.

The `ws_access.conf` file is the web server's access configuration for your shop. In its capabilities and syntax, it corresponds to the directory-level configuration file of the Apache web server, which is usually called `.htaccess` there.

> [!WARNING]
>
> Only edit this file if you have solid Apache knowledge.
>
> Incorrect settings and parameters can take the shop completely out of service.

Guide: 404 error page, Load time and encryption

## Where the file is located

The file is located in the shop's root directory. If a subshop exists, it is also located in that subshop's subdirectory, and the file there applies to that subshop.

You can access it only via SFTP. You can neither view nor edit it through the online service area.

## What it typically contains

Everything an Apache access configuration can do is also possible here. In practice, three things come up most often:

| Use case | Directive |
| - | - |
| Assign a custom document for the 404 error | `ErrorDocument 404` |
| Control browser caching per file type | `Expires` |
| Rewrite addresses, for example for SEO URLs and direct links | `RewriteRule` |

The file starts with `RewriteEngine on` as soon as it contains rewrite rules.

Guide: 404 error page explains how to assign the error document · Load time and encryption explains the caching entries

## The managed section for direct links

Part of the file doesn't belong to you. The direct links service in the online service area writes its own rewrite rules into this file, in a dedicated section delimited by two comment lines. Each of these markers carries the subshop's identifier.

> [!WARNING]
>
> Leave this section untouched. The service overwrites it completely with every change, so any edits you make there will be lost.
>
> Conversely, everything outside the two markers is preserved. Your own directives are safe there.

> [!NOTE]
>
> If one of the two markers is missing, the service appends the entire section anew to the end of the file. So don't delete the comment lines, even if they look unnecessary.
>
> The shop configuration specifies where the service expects the file. If the service can't find it there, it reports an error and can't be opened. In this case, contact WEBSALE AG.

Guide: Link shortener

## Things to keep in mind when editing

> [!WARNING]
>
> Use an editor that produces Unix line breaks, that is, plain line feed characters.
>
> If your editor saves Windows line breaks, shops without SEO URLs can no longer be accessed afterward.

Make a copy of the file before every change. Because an error can make the entire shop unreachable, restoring the old version is the fastest way back.

After every change, check not only the page you wanted to change but also that the home page and a product page load. Errors in this file affect the entire directory, not just the address a rule was intended for.


## Related topics

- [Configuration types](https://dokumentation.websale.de/en/v8s/grundlagen-konfiguration/konfigurations-typen.md)
- [Configuration: fundamentals](https://dokumentation.websale.de/en/v8s/grundlagen-konfiguration/konfiguration-grundlagen.md)
- [$wsConfig - Configuration](https://dokumentation.websale.de/en/frontend/referenz/module/wsconfig.md)
- [404 error page](https://dokumentation.websale.de/en/v8s/informationsseiten/404-fehlerseite.md)
- [Loading time and encryption](https://dokumentation.websale.de/en/v8s/seo/ladezeit-und-verschluesselung.md)


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