Authorizing Any Valid UW NetID

Follow these step-by-step instructions to password protect your Web site such that only users with a UW NetID can get in.

To provide access to anyone with a valid UW NetID:

StepsActions
Log into your web development server using a terminal emulator. If you're not sure how to do this, click here for instructions.
At the prompt, enter the following command to change directories to your Web directory:

cd public_html
If you want to password protect a subdirectory rather than your whole Web site, change directories to the subdirectory you want to protect. For example:
cd private
At the prompt, enter the following command to create a .htaccess file in the current working directory:

pico .htaccess
Add the following text to this file:

AuthType UWNetID
require valid-user

To the Web server, valid-user has special meaning. In this context, it refers to anyone who can enter a valid UW NetID and password.

Tip: This will allow any UW NetID (including group accounts and temporary IDs) to access your Web site. To restrict access further to only specific affiliations, for instance students or faculty, see Authorizing UW NetIDs by Affiliation Type.
Save and close the file using Pico. (Click for instructions on how to use pico).
You're done! Confirm that password protection is working by opening your Web site with a Web browser.

Reviewed 8/20/12 | News Feed