Windows Hosting (Plesk) Help

Microsoft URL Rewrite Module

Windows hosting accounts using IIS 7 support the Microsoft® URL Rewrite Module, which rewrites complicated URLs into more user-friendly URLs based on rules specified by the webmaster in the account's web.config file.

Note: The Microsoft URL Rewrite Module is supported on Windows hosting plans running IIS 7. To check which version you have, log in to your Account Manager, click Web Hosting in the Products section, and then click Manage next to the account you want to use. Your IIS Version displays in the Account Summary section.

For example, the Microsoft URL Rewrite Module could rewrite

http://www.coolexample.com/Vehicles/Category.aspx?Category=Cars
http://www.coolexample.com/Vehicles/Category.aspx?Category=Trucks
http://www.coolexample.com/Vehicles/Category.aspx?Category=Vans

as

http://www.coolexample.com/Cars
http://www.coolexample.com/Trucks
http://www.coolexample.com/Vans

For more information, see Microsoft’s® URL Rewrite Module documentation.

This feature also allows WordPress accounts to use Permalinks on Windows hosting. For more information on using Permalinks in WordPress, see their codex article.

Note: Since a web.config file controls a folder and all of its subdirectories, installing an application in both a folder and one of its subdirectories can cause errors, e.g., installing WordPress in the root and a subdirectory. To host multiple applications, each should be installed in its own subdirectory.