How To Allow Popup Ads Only On Certain Website Pages Using .htaccess File

Step 1: Create a Backup of Your .htaccess File

Before we start making changes to your .htaccess file, it’s essential to create a backup in case something goes wrong. You can do this using an FTP client or file manager in your hosting control panel.

Connect to your website’s root directory and look for the .htaccess file. Right-click (or control-click on a Mac) and select “Download” or “Copy” to create a local copy of the file.

Step 2: Identify the Pages Where You Want to Allow Popup Ads

Next, identify the specific pages where you want to allow popup ads. This could be a single page, a category of pages, or an entire section of your website. Make a note of the URLs or patterns that match these pages.

Example:

Let’s say you want to allow popup ads on all pages in the “/resources” directory, but not on any other pages. You would make a note of the URL pattern:

/resources/*

Step 3: Add the Popup Ad Code to Your Website

Add the popup ad code to your website, but wrap it in a conditional statement that checks for the presence of a specific cookie. This cookie will be set only on the pages where you want to allow popup ads.

In this example, we’ll use a JavaScript code that sets a cookie named “popup_allowed” with a value of “true” on the pages where popup ads are allowed:

<script>
  if (window.location.pathname.indexOf("/resources/") !== -1) {
    document.cookie = "popup_allowed=true; expires=Fri, 31 Dec 9999 23:59:59 GMT; path=/";
  }
</script>

This code checks if the current URL contains the “/resources/” pattern, and if so, sets the “popup_allowed” cookie.

Step 4: Add the .htaccess Rules

Now, add the following rules to your .htaccess file to allow popup ads only on the pages where the “popup_allowed” cookie is set:

<IfModule mod_setenvif.c>
  <If "req('cookie_popup_allowed') == 'true'">
    Header set X-Popup-Ads "allowed"
  </If>
</IfModule>

This code uses the mod_setenvif module to check the value of the “popup_allowed” cookie. If the cookie is set to “true”, it sets an HTTP header named “X-Popup-Ads” with a value of “allowed”. This header will be used to trigger the popup ad code.

Step 5: Configure Your Popup Ad Code

Finally, update your popup ad code to check for the presence of the “X-Popup-Ads” header before displaying the ad:

<script>
  if (document.cookie.indexOf("popup_allowed=true") !== -1 && "allowed" === document.getResponseHeader("X-Popup-Ads")) {
    // Display the popup ad code here
  }
</script>

This code checks both the “popup_allowed” cookie and the “X-Popup-Ads” header before displaying the popup ad. If either condition is not met, the ad will not be displayed.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can control when and where popup ads appear on your website using the .htaccess file. This technique gives you more flexibility and control over your website’s user experience, while also ensuring that you don’t annoy your visitors with excessive popup ads.

Remember to test your implementation thoroughly to ensure that the popup ads are appearing only on the pages where you intend them to.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you encounter any issues with this implementation, here are some troubleshooting tips to help you:

1. Check your .htaccess file syntax**: Make sure you’ve added the rules correctly and there are no syntax errors.
2. Verify the cookie is being set**: Use a browser extension like Cookies Editor or EditThisCookie to verify that the “popup_allowed” cookie is being set correctly.
3. Check the HTTP headers**: Use a tool like cURL or the Network Inspector in your browser’s DevTools to verify that the “X-Popup-Ads” header is being sent correctly.