# Why using .htaccess might not be an option

There are situations where setting up a redirect in your `.htaccess` file may not be an option, such as:

- you are not allowed (= do not "have") edit access to your .htaccess file.
- your provider does not allow [specific directives in .htaccess files][1] (which you'd want to use).
- your Drupal site is running on IIS.
- you don't have the required knowledge to correctly code the redirect in your .htaccess.
- ... (what else?).

These are all reasons for using an approach based on the [Rules][2] module, as further detailed below.

# Use Rules with 'Drupal is initializing'

Using the [Rules][2] module to get this to work, you should be able to use the "**Drupal is initializing**" event. That will ensure that the rule gets triggered BEFORE the actual content is shown.

# Use a Regular Expression

The link that you want to "intercept", should be formatted in some type of regular expression, which you then use as your rules "Condition". so that you have a rule that corresponds to "before showing the actual content of something that matches a specific path ...". After you get that part to work, your Rules "action" should specify the actual redirect to be performed.

**Remark**: in this case you can also use "`contains /content?name=`" (instead of the regular expression) to get the text match working.

# Sample rule

Refer to the "option 1" part of my answer to the question about "https://drupal.stackexchange.com/questions/165114/how-to-restrict-access-to-a-node-via-node-12-and-allow-access-via-a-path-like-co/165126#165126", which contains this rule in export format:

    { "rules_check_url" : {
        "LABEL" : "Disallow node/* access",
        "PLUGIN" : "reaction rule",
        "OWNER" : "rules",
        "REQUIRES" : [ "rules" ],
        "ON" : { "init" : [] },
        "IF" : [
          { "text_matches" : {
              "text" : [ "site:current-page:url" ],
              "match" : "node\/\\d+$",
              "operation" : "regex"
            }
          }
        ],
        "DO" : [
          { "drupal_message" : {
              "message" : "Sorry, URLs like [site:current-page:url] are not allowed around here ...",
              "type" : "error"
            }
          },
          { "redirect" : { "url" : "no_access" } }
        ]
      }
    }

Here are some suggested tunings of the above sample, to make it work for your case also:

- machine name and label.
- replace the `node/*` by your path (in the "label", and the regular expression).
- replace the path in the action part of the rule by your target path (more details below), and check if you do want some type of error message to be shown (if not remove that part of the action).

# Use the value of the [name] variable in the redirect

To make the value of the URL argument available as new variable to Rules, you can use the [Rules URL Argument][3] module. Here is a quote about it (from its project page):

> ... provides two rules conditions based on URL arguments:

> - check if a URL argument is present.
> - compare the value of an URL argument.

> It also provides an action that makes the value of an URL argument available as new variable to Rules.

The newly provided Rules actions and conditions can be found under the "URL Argument" conditions and actions groups in the rule configuration interface.

For an example of how to use it, refer to [Comment # 3 in issue # 1686360][4] which is about "*Pass an amount to the url, ie; site/content/node-title?amount=10 or /node-title?=amount:10*". Here is the relevant part of it:

> - add a "Check if URL argument exist" condition to your rule and set the "ARGUMENT" value to "amount".
> - add "Provide URL argument value" action to the rule and set "URL ARGUMENT NAME" value to "amount" and in the "Provided variables" section "ARGUMENT FROM URL - Variable name" to e.g. "`amount_from_url`".

> You will now be able to use the amount value as a variable "`amount-from-url`" for other actions in this rule.

**PS**: If you're not familiar (enough/yet) with [Rules][2], checkout the 32 (!!!) great, and free, video tutorials [Learn the Rules framework][5].


  [1]: http://httpd.apache.org/docs/current/en/mod/core.html
  [2]: https://www.drupal.org/project/rules
  [3]: https://www.drupal.org/project/rules_url_argument
  [4]: https://www.drupal.org/node/1686360#comment-6306112
  [5]: http://drupal.placeto.be/tutorial/learn-the-rules-framework