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

# Apache Handlers

> Map file extensions to Apache modules so unusual file types execute with a specific handler. Rare in cPanel; most users won't need this.

Apache Handlers is a niche tool for telling Apache to process files of a given extension with a specific handler module. The form writes an `AddHandler` line to your `.htaccess`.

<Frame caption="cPanel home → Advanced → Apache Handlers">
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/noxity/images/cpanel/advanced/apache-handlers/page-light.png" alt="Apache Handlers form with handler and extension fields" className="block dark:hidden" />

  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/noxity/images/cpanel/advanced/apache-handlers/page-dark.png" alt="Apache Handlers form with handler and extension fields" className="hidden dark:block" />
</Frame>

## What it does

By default, Apache and LiteSpeed know how to handle every common file type: `.html`, `.php`, `.css`, `.js`, images. This tool exists for the rare case where you need an unusual extension treated as a known handler.

A made-up example: you want `.tpl` files to be parsed as PHP. You'd add a handler with **Handler:** `application/x-httpd-php` and **Extension:** `tpl`.

In practice, almost no modern stack needs this. Frameworks include their own routing.

## Add a handler

<Steps>
  <Step title="Type the handler name">
    Common values: `application/x-httpd-php` (parse as PHP), `cgi-script` (run as CGI), `server-parsed` (parse Server-Side Includes).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Type the extensions">
    Space-separated, no dot. Example: `tpl tmpl`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Add Handler">
    cPanel writes an `AddHandler` line to `~/public_html/.htaccess`. Effect is immediate.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="My handler isn't being applied">
    Either the `.htaccess` line was overridden by something deeper in the directory tree, or the handler name is wrong. Open `~/public_html/.htaccess` directly and check the `AddHandler` line is there. Test with a simple file (e.g., `test.tpl` containing `<?php phpinfo(); ?>`).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="When would I use this in 2026?">
    Honestly, almost never. The case we still see occasionally: legacy applications shipping templates with unusual extensions that need PHP parsing. If you're on a modern stack (WordPress, Laravel, Drupal, Magento), you don't need this. If you're not sure whether you need it, you don't.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Need a hand?

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Open a ticket" icon="life-ring" href="https://members.noxity.io/submitticket.php">
    Best for anything that needs an account check or a config change on our end.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Live chat" icon="messages" href="https://noxity.io/contact">
    Faster for quick questions during business hours.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>