Enabling XSendFile on an Apache server

Overview

The xsendfile Apache module lets Apache handle file transfers directly instead of routing them through your web application, improving performance and keeping sensitive file paths hidden from users. You can enable it for your site from the DreamHost panel.

Background

Apache mod_xsendfile is a web server module that lets Apache handle file transfers instead of passing them through a web application. It is configured by setting a special X-Sendfile HTTP header that tells Apache which files to serve.

This approach improves performance, reduces memory usage, and enhances scalability—especially for large files—while keeping sensitive file paths hidden from users.

How do I enable XSendFile?

To enable:

1. Navigate to the Manage Websites page.
2. Click the Manage button to open Website settings, which allows you to modify various configurations for your site.
   • If in Grid view, click the Manage button at the bottom of the website box.
   • If in List view, click the Manage button at the far right of your domain name.
3. Click the Settings tab.
4. To the right of Web Options, click the Modify button.
5. To the right of Enable mod_xsendfile, click the toggle to enable or disable.
6. Click the Save Changes button.

See also

• Viewing your server's software versions
• xsendfile resource page
• xsendfile GitHub page