title: How do I rewrite a URL so that the rewrite can be typed into the URL bar?
body: <p>I have the following page: <code>www.domain.com/index.php?route=information/contact</code> and I'd like to rewrite it so that it shows up as: <code>www.domain.com/contact</code>, but there's more...</p>
  
  <p>What's important, is that when someone types in <code>www.domain.com/contact</code>, it redirects them to <code>www.domain.com/index.php?route=information/contact</code>, which in turn, is rewritten as <code>www.domain.com/contact</code>.</p>
  
  <p>I appreciate any help! Thanks.</p>
  
  <p><strong>Edit:</strong> To clarify</p>
  
  <p>I want users to be able to enter <code>www.domain.com/contact</code> and be redirected to <code>www.domain.com/index.php?route=information/contact</code>.</p>
  
  <p>However once redirected, I'd like a <strong>purely aesthetic rewrite</strong> so that <code>www.domain.com/index.php?route=information/contact</code> shows up as <code>www.domain.com/contact</code> (the same as what they typed in.)</p>
  
  <p>Is this possible?</p>
  
  <p><strong>Edit:</strong> My .htaccess file currently...</p>
  
  <pre><code>Options +FollowSymlinks
  
  # Prevent Directoy listing 
  Options -Indexes
  
  # Prevent Direct Access to files
  &lt;FilesMatch "\.(tpl|ini)"&gt;
   Order deny,allow
   Deny from all
  &lt;/FilesMatch&gt;
  
  # SEO URL Settings
  RewriteEngine On
  RewriteBase /
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
  RewriteRule ^(.*)\?*$ index.php?_route_=$1 [L,QSA]
  
  RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} ^route=common/home$
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_METHOD} !^POST$
  RewriteRule ^index\.php$ http://www.domain.com/? [R=301,L]
  
  
  ### Additional Settings that may need to be enabled for some servers 
  ### Uncomment the commands by removing the # sign in front of it.
  ### If you get an "Internal Server Error 500" after enabling, then restore the # as this means your host 
  
  doesn't allow that.
  
  # 1. If your cart only allows you to add one item at a time, it is possible register_globals is on. This 
  
  may work to disable it:
  # php_flag register_globals off
  </code></pre>