mod_authn_file - Apache HTTP Server Version 2.4
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Apache HTTP Server Version 2.4
Apache
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Version 2.4
Modules
Apache Module mod_authn_file
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Description:
User authentication using text files
Status:
Base
Module Identifier:
authn_file_module
Source File:
mod_authn_file.c
Compatibility:
Available in Apache 2.1 and later
Summary
This module provides authentication front-ends such as
mod_auth_digest
and
mod_auth_basic
to authenticate users by looking up users in plain text password files.
Similar functionality is provided by
mod_authn_dbm
When using
mod_auth_basic
or
mod_auth_digest
, this module is invoked via the
AuthBasicProvider
or
AuthDigestProvider
with the
file
value.
Directives
AuthUserFile
Bugfix checklist
httpd changelog
Known issues
Report a bug
See also
AuthBasicProvider
AuthDigestProvider
htpasswd
htdigest
Password Formats
Comments
AuthUserFile
Directive
Description:
Sets the name of a text file containing the list of users and
passwords for authentication
Syntax:
AuthUserFile
file-path
Context:
directory, .htaccess
Override:
AuthConfig
Status:
Base
Module:
mod_authn_file
The
AuthUserFile
directive sets the name
of a textual file containing the list of users and passwords for
user authentication.
File-path
is the path to the user
file. If it is not absolute, it is treated as relative to the
ServerRoot
Each line of the user file contains a username followed by
a colon, followed by the encrypted password. If the same user
ID is defined multiple times,
mod_authn_file
will
use the first occurrence to verify the password.
The encrypted password format depends on which authentication
frontend (e.g.
mod_auth_basic
or
mod_auth_digest
) is being used. See
Password Formats
for
more information.
For
mod_auth_basic
, use the utility
htpasswd
which is installed as part of the binary distribution, or which
can be found in
src/support
. See the
man page
for more details.
In short:
Create a password file
Filename
with
username
as the initial ID. It will prompt for
the password:
htpasswd -c Filename username
Add or modify
username2
in the password file
Filename
htpasswd Filename username2
Note that searching large text files is
very
inefficient;
AuthDBMUserFile
should be used
instead.
For
mod_auth_digest
, use
htdigest
instead. Note that you cannot mix user data for Digest Authentication
and Basic Authentication within the same file.
Security
Make sure that the
AuthUserFile
is
stored outside the document tree of the web-server. Do
not
put it in the directory that it protects.
Otherwise, clients may be able to download the
AuthUserFile
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Copyright 2026 The Apache Software Foundation.
Licensed under the
Apache License, Version 2.0
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