Apache: Comprehensive list of Apache HTTP Server configuration directives

Here is a comprehensive list of Apache HTTP Server configuration directives you might encounter in httpd.conf and included config files (like extra/httpd-vhosts.conf, extra/httpd-ssl.conf, etc). Apache has hundreds of directives—here are the most common and important ones, grouped by function. (For a complete official list, see: Apache Directives Index)

Core Server Directives

• ServerName
• ServerAlias
• ServerAdmin
• DocumentRoot
• Listen
• User
• Group
• PidFile
• Timeout
• KeepAlive
• KeepAliveTimeout
• MaxKeepAliveRequests
• ServerTokens
• ServerSignature
• ServerRoot
• HostnameLookups
• LimitRequestBody
• LimitRequestFields
• LimitRequestFieldSize
• LimitRequestLine

Directory and File Handling

• DirectoryIndex
• Options
• AllowOverride
• Require
• Order (legacy)
• Allow (legacy)
• Deny (legacy)
• AccessFileName
• Files
• Directory
• Location
• Alias
• ScriptAlias
• IndexOptions
• IndexIgnore
• Redirect
• RedirectMatch

Logging

• ErrorLog
• CustomLog
• LogLevel
• LogFormat

Modules and Extensions

• LoadModule
• AddModule (legacy)
• Include
• TypesConfig
• AddType
• AddHandler
• AddOutputFilter
• AddInputFilter
• AddLanguage
• AddCharset
• AddEncoding
• AddIcon
• AddDescription

Performance and Connection Handling

• StartServers
• MinSpareServers
• MaxSpareServers
• MaxClients (legacy; use MaxRequestWorkers)
• MaxRequestWorkers
• MaxConnectionsPerChild
• ThreadsPerChild
• ThreadLimit
• ServerLimit

Security and Access Control

• Require
• AuthType
• AuthName
• AuthUserFile
• AuthGroupFile
• AuthBasicProvider
• AllowOverride
• SSLProtocol
• SSLCipherSuite
• SSLCertificateFile
• SSLCertificateKeyFile
• SSLCertificateChainFile
• SSLEngine
• SSLVerifyClient
• SSLVerifyDepth
• SSLProxyEngine

Virtual Hosting

• VirtualHost
• NameVirtualHost
• UseCanonicalName
• ServerAlias
• ServerAdmin
• DocumentRoot
• ErrorLog
• CustomLog
• SSLEngine (for SSL vhosts)

Proxy and Reverse Proxy

• ProxyRequests
• ProxyPass
• ProxyPassReverse
• ProxyPreserveHost
• ProxyTimeout
• ProxyAddHeaders
• ProxyVia
• ProxyPassMatch

URL Rewriting

• RewriteEngine
• RewriteCond
• RewriteRule
• RewriteBase
• RewriteMap

MIME Types and Content Handling

• TypesConfig
• DefaultType
• AddType
• AddEncoding
• AddLanguage
• AddCharset

Other Useful Directives

• SetEnv
• PassEnv
• UnsetEnv
• Header
• RequestHeader
• SetHandler
• ScriptAlias
• ScriptAliasMatch
• ScriptInterpreterSource
• SuexecUserGroup

Legacy and Deprecated Directives

(Some older directives are still seen in configs, though they’re deprecated)

• Order
• Allow
• Deny
• NameVirtualHost
• MaxClients

How to Get the Full List on Your Server

You can get a list of all directives supported by your current Apache install with:

apachectl -L

or

httpd -L

This prints all recognized directives with a brief description.

Official Full List (by Module)

For the complete and always up-to-date list, see:
👉 https://httpd.apache.org/docs/current/mod/directives.html

Rajesh Kumar

I’m Rajesh Kumar, a DevOps, SRE, DevSecOps, Cloud, and Platform Engineering expert passionate about sharing practical knowledge, real-world experiences, and industry best practices. I have worked at Cotocus and regularly write about technology, travel, investing, health, product reviews, and digital marketing through my various platforms.

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