.htaccess is an abbreviation for Hypertext Access; the default name for Apache's directory-level configuration file, which enables customizing the configuration directives i.e. the parameters defined in the main configuration file. However, the configuration directives need to be in .htaccess context and the user needs appropriate permissions to edit the file. The directives apply to the documents in all the directories and the subdirectories where the .htaccess file remains located. However, the other .htaccess files in the subdirectories may alter or nullify the effects of the ones in the parent directories.