Running non-Wordpress PHP files

Question

It seems that Wordpress has changed the default .htaccess file so that you can no longer run different PHP code within the a subfolder. It also states that the block in the .htaccess file is dynamically created, so messing with it directly would be problematic.

So what is the correct way to support running other PHP code that isn't related to Wordpress in a subfolder that Wordpress is installed?

# BEGIN WordPress
# The directives (lines) between "BEGIN WordPress" and "END WordPress" are
# dynamically generated, and should only be modified via WordPress filters.
# Any changes to the directives between these markers will be overwritten.
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization}]
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>

# END WordPress

Answer 1

To run non-WordPress PHP files in a subfolder alongside a WordPress installation, follow these steps to modify your .htaccess file:

1. Choose a Subfolder Name: Decide the name for your subfolder, e.g., mycustomphp.

2. Modify the .htaccess File: Add the following lines above the # BEGIN WordPress section to exclude your subfolder from WordPress's URL rewriting:

   RewriteEngine On
   RewriteRule ^mycustomphp/ - [L]
   

   Ensure the entire .htaccess looks like this:

   RewriteEngine On
   RewriteRule ^mycustomphp/ - [L]
   
   # BEGIN WordPress
   <IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
   RewriteEngine On
   RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization}]
   RewriteBase /
   RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
   RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
   RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
   RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
   </IfModule>
   # END WordPress
   

This approach allows your PHP files to operate separately from the WordPress environment without altering core rewrite rules that could affect your main site.