Htaccess Question
 

I know this has probably been asked before but what the heck.

I have an htaccess in my root domain that protects against hotlinking. It applies to all the images in that domain. How do I make it so that it protects against unwanted hotlinking but still allows SEs to use the image for promotion?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

you'd have to do it on an SE-per-SE basis. you'd have to add them as an "allowed referrer" just like you've set it up so local referrals work.

or just use it in folders were you have images...
.htaccess
That's what I do....


can put it as many folders as you want....

I would recomend using scripting to prevent hotlinking, Im currently looking into solutions for a couple of webmasters, .htaccess only blocks around 50% of people (am i correct in this estimate) Anyways I script could block 99.9% of people hotlinking.

A. You all probably mean mod_rewrite and not .htaccess. You happen to use it in .htaccess but its still mod_rewrite (can be placed in httpd.conf as well)
which leads to foe's remark
Why do you think you can do anything with script that you cant do with mod_rewrite????
mod_rewrite blocks most of hotlinking (if used right) and not only 50%. What you do to block hotlinking is block all access to images (jpg,gif,...) from HTTP_REFERER that is not your own site.
(problem with anti-hotlinking is that it may block more than 100% :winkwink: meaning blocking legal requests from client browsers that hide HTTP_REFERER [personal firewalls and shit])

Id be happy to know what a script can do that mod_rewrite cant regarding the hotlinking issue. foe? enlighten us, would you?

could mod_rewrite do this, block all http_refferers from all domains not in a specified list?

yes, at the apache request URI translation stage so it is quite efficient.

cheers

actually, choker just posted a very nice example of it in another thread

cheers

mod_rewrite is an rule-based script-like language implemented as an apache module. very easy to do what foe asked.
You can very sophisticated conditioning not only upon referer.
I'd suggest to read the mod_rewrite tutorial before deciding to do something on script. you will be surprised what you can achieve with mod_rewrite.
mod_rewrite is a little complex to grasp and master - but once you are "there" you will be a happy webMaster :thumbsup