Trying To Edit Htaccess File And Change Main Domain

[clchaz]

Hi,

 

I'm running into two issues with my website I'm hoping you can help with.

1. I'm trying to enable cache-control via the .htaccess file, but I'm not able to edit this file in the cpanel File Manager. It's not in the files list, and I get the error 'the file already exists' when I try to create a new file with that name. Is there another way to edit this?
   
2. I've been trying to change the main domain for my account to http://clchazleton.org from clchazletonpa.heliohost.org. I requested the change after logging into my account, but it's been a few days now and it hasn't changed.

 

If it makes things easier, the site is on Tommy and my un is clchaz

 

Thank you!!

[wolstech]

1. I'm trying to enable cache-control via the .htaccess file, but I'm not able to edit this file in the cpanel File Manager. It's not in the files list, and I get the error 'the file already exists' when I try to create a new file with that name. Is there another way to edit this?

2. I've been trying to change the main domain for my account to http://clchazleton.org from clchazletonpa.heliohost.org. I requested the change after logging into my account, but it's been a few days now and it hasn't changed.

1. Use FTP to see the .htaccess file. Otherwise, select Settings in the File Manager and check the option for "show hidden files (dotfiles)".
2. I'd recommend adding it an alias in cPanel. It'll show the same content as the heliohost.org subdomain. If you really want it as your main domain, let me know and I can change it for you.

[clchaz]

Thanks, I'll try that for #1.

 

Ok, so for #2 - I think might be interfering with Google Search Console in that GSC is displaying the 'account queued' screenshot for the site after moving over to Tommy from Stevie. Since making the move (a week or so ago), I requested it be recrawled and rendered a few times to try and fix this. All of that being said, I'm sure you are much smarter than me, and if you don't think the main domain could be interfering with GSC then we can leave it as is.

[wolstech]

If I visit the clchazleton.org domain or your subdomain, I get an internal server error. It's probably not updating because the software you use is broken. Search engines won't typically index stuff that returns a 500 error...

 

Your first step here should be to fix that 500 error. Once the site is working from both domains, tell it to reindex and give it 2-3 months (Google may crawl it quickly, but often the data they get from crawling doesn't make its way into everything for some time...).

[clchaz]

Was anything changed on my account since my initial post on Jan 6th? I made only one code change to the site in cpanel since (which I reverted) and I'm getting a constant 500 error. After reverting the change failed to resolve the site, I restored a backup from a time when I know it was definitely working (just in case). All I'm getting now is the 500 error and I have no idea why, if the site was working just fine before and in the version I restored.

[wolstech]

Try deleting or renaming the .htaccess file in public_html. Invalid ones will make it throw a 500 error.

[Byron]

Your site is working now after renaming your .htaccess file to copy-htaccess.

You had html inside your .htaccess file and that's why you had the 500 error. If your not familiar with htaccess directives just leave it blank.