How to Set Up Virtual Hosts in XAMPP on Windows (.test Domains, 2026 Guide)

📋 What You'll Need

Requirement	Details
XAMPP	Installed in the default C:\xampp folder, with Apache starting normally
Operating system	Windows 10 or 11
Project folder	For example C:\xampp\htdocs\mysite
Permissions	An account with Administrator rights (needed to edit the hosts file)
Time needed	About 15 minutes for the first site, 3 minutes for each site after that

Setting up an XAMPP virtual host lets every project on your PC run at its own address, like http://mysite.test, instead of http://localhost/mysite. Subfolder URLs cause path problems, especially with WordPress (absolute URLs stored in the database, RewriteBase in .htaccess) and any code that expects the site to live at the web root. This guide covers three edits on Windows: the Apache include in httpd.conf, a <VirtualHost> block in httpd-vhosts.conf, and the Windows hosts file. All paths assume a default XAMPP install at C:\xampp running Apache 2.4.

If XAMPP isn't installed yet, start with How to Install XAMPP on Windows. If you'd rather skip manual configuration, Laragon creates .test domains for you; see How to Install Laragon on Windows.

What Is a Virtual Host (and Why Use One)?

A virtual host is an Apache feature that lets one web server serve several websites, choosing which one by the domain name in each request. XAMPP runs a single Apache, so each .test domain you define can point to a different project folder.

Feature	Subfolder (localhost/mysite)	Virtual host (mysite.test)
Address	http://localhost/mysite	http://mysite.test
Site's web root	C:\xampp\htdocs (site sits in a subfolder)	C:\xampp\htdocs\mysite (site is the root)
Root-relative links such as /images/logo.png	Resolve to htdocs/images and break	Resolve inside the project
Matches a live server	No	Yes

The main benefits:

• Live-like URLs: the site sits at the domain root, the way it will on a real host.
• No path errors: root-relative links and .htaccess rewrite rules behave as they do in production.
• Separated projects: each project gets its own folder, logs and domain, so cookies and sessions no longer mix on a shared localhost.
• Easier HTTPS later: certificates are issued per hostname, so mysite.test can get its own.

Here is how a request travels once a virtual host is in place:

1. You type http://mysite.test in the browser.
2. Windows checks the hosts file and resolves mysite.test to 127.0.0.1 (your own PC).
3. Apache receives the request on port 80 and reads the requested hostname.
4. Apache matches it against the ServerName of each virtual host and serves that block's DocumentRoot.

Before You Start

• Apache starts without errors in the XAMPP Control Panel. If it doesn't, see 9 Common XAMPP Errors on Windows first.
• Your project folder exists, for example C:\xampp\htdocs\mysite.
• You can run programs as Administrator.
• You've backed up the two files you're about to edit.

Run these two commands in a normal Command Prompt to back up both files (the hosts backup goes to your Desktop):

copy C:\xampp\apache\conf\extra\httpd-vhosts.conf C:\xampp\apache\conf\extra\httpd-vhosts.conf.bak
copy C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts %USERPROFILE%\Desktop\hosts.bak

Which domain extension should you use?

Use .test. It is reserved for testing (RFC 6761), never resolves on the public internet, and browsers don't force HTTPS on it.

Extension	Verdict	Why
.test	✅ Use this	Reserved for testing, no real-world conflicts
.dev, .app	⚠️ Avoid	Real domains on the browser HSTS preload list, so browsers force HTTPS
.local	⚠️ Avoid	Reserved for mDNS (Bonjour), which can cause slow or failed lookups on Windows
Real domains (google.com)	❌ Never	You'd lock yourself out of the real site on this PC

Step 1: Enable the Virtual Hosts Include in httpd.conf

Open the XAMPP Control Panel, click Config next to Apache, and choose Apache (httpd.conf). The file is C:\xampp\apache\conf\httpd.conf. Press Ctrl+F, search for vhosts, and make sure this line has no # in front of it:

Include conf/extra/httpd-vhosts.conf

Many XAMPP builds already have it enabled, so you may only need to confirm. If it starts with #, delete the # and save the file.

Step 2: Add Your Virtual Host to httpd-vhosts.conf

Open C:\xampp\apache\conf\extra\httpd-vhosts.conf. If your copy has active sample blocks such as dummy-host.example.com, comment them out or delete them. Apache won't start if a block points to a folder that doesn't exist.

Declare localhost first. Once you define any virtual host on a port, Apache uses the first one listed as the default for every request that doesn't match a ServerName. Without a localhost block at the top, http://localhost would load your first project instead of the XAMPP dashboard.

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName localhost
    DocumentRoot "C:/xampp/htdocs"
</VirtualHost>

Then add a block for your project below it:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName mysite.test
    DocumentRoot "C:/xampp/htdocs/mysite"

    <Directory "C:/xampp/htdocs/mysite">
        Options FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog "logs/mysite.test-error.log"
    CustomLog "logs/mysite.test-access.log" combined
</VirtualHost>

Directive	What it does
ServerName	The hostname this block answers to. It must match the hosts file entry exactly.
DocumentRoot	The folder Apache serves for this hostname.
<Directory>	Sets access rules for that folder. It should use the same path as DocumentRoot.
Require all granted	Allows visitors to read the folder. Without it you get a 403 Forbidden error.
AllowOverride All	Lets .htaccess files work, which WordPress permalinks and Joomla SEF URLs need.
ErrorLog / CustomLog	Optional. Give the site its own log files inside C:\xampp\apache\logs.

Step 3: Edit the Windows Hosts File

The hosts file tells Windows which IP address a hostname belongs to. You need Administrator rights to save changes to it.

1. Click Start, type Notepad, right-click it and choose Run as administrator.
2. Choose File → Open and paste C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc in the address bar.
3. Change the file type filter from Text Documents to All Files, then open hosts.
4. Add this line at the bottom, then save with Ctrl+S:

127.0.0.1    mysite.test

Alternative: from an Administrator PowerShell window, this command appends the line for you (the leading `n starts a new line in case the file doesn't end with one):

Add-Content -Path "$env:SystemRoot\System32\drivers\etc\hosts" -Value "`n127.0.0.1    mysite.test"

Step 4: Test the Configuration and Restart Apache

Check the syntax before restarting, so a typo doesn't stop Apache. Open Command Prompt and run:

cd C:\xampp\apache\bin
httpd.exe -t

You should see Syntax OK. If you see an error instead, it names the file and line number to fix. To see which virtual host Apache treats as the default, run httpd.exe -S; localhost should be listed first for port 80.

Next, in the XAMPP Control Panel click Stop then Start next to Apache. If the domain isn't recognised in the next step, clear the Windows DNS cache:

ipconfig /flushdns

Step 5: Open Your Custom Domain

Open http://mysite.test in your browser. Type the full address with http://, because some browsers treat a bare mysite.test as a search query. You should see your project. Then open http://localhost to confirm it still shows the XAMPP dashboard, which proves your localhost block is working.

Step 6: Update WordPress (or Joomla) to Use the New Domain

WordPress already installed at localhost/mysite: the database still holds the old address, so you need to change it. The safest method is to add two lines to wp-config.php, above the line that says That's all, stop editing:

define( 'WP_HOME', 'http://mysite.test' );
define( 'WP_SITEURL', 'http://mysite.test' );

These constants override the values in the database, so if you mistype one you can fix it in the file instead of being locked out of the dashboard. Changing the address under Settings → General works too, but a typo there can lock you out.

• Re-save permalinks: go to Settings → Permalinks and click Save Changes. A site installed in a subfolder has /mysite/ written into its .htaccess rewrite rules, and saving regenerates them for the domain root.
• Fix hard-coded URLs: posts, widgets and builder data can contain the old http://localhost/mysite address. Run a search-and-replace with WP-CLI or a plugin such as Better Search Replace. Use a tool that handles serialized data; a plain SQL replace can corrupt it.
• New installs: use http://mysite.test from the start when you run the WordPress installer, and you can skip all of the above.

Joomla: a site moved from a subfolder usually needs no URL changes. Open configuration.php and check that $live_site is empty; if it holds the old address, clear it. For a fresh install on a virtual host, see How to Install Joomla 6 on a Windows PC.

How Do You Add More Virtual Hosts?

Repeat the same four actions for every new project:

1. Create the project folder in htdocs.
2. Add a new <VirtualHost> block to httpd-vhosts.conf.
3. Add a new line for the domain in the hosts file.
4. Restart Apache.

Blocks sit one after another in the same file, below the localhost block:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName site1.test
    DocumentRoot "C:/xampp/htdocs/site1"
    <Directory "C:/xampp/htdocs/site1">
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
</VirtualHost>

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName site2.test
    DocumentRoot "C:/xampp/htdocs/site2"
    <Directory "C:/xampp/htdocs/site2">
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
</VirtualHost>

The matching hosts file lines:

127.0.0.1    site1.test
127.0.0.1    site2.test

Project	Folder	Domain	Database (suggested)
site1	C:\xampp\htdocs\site1	site1.test	site1_db
site2	C:\xampp\htdocs\site2	site2.test	site2_db

Tip: use one name for the folder, the domain and the database. It makes a list of ten local sites much easier to manage.

Can You Use a Project Folder Outside htdocs?

Yes. Keeping code in a folder like D:\Projects\mysite separates your work from the XAMPP install, which makes XAMPP upgrades and reinstalls safer. The difference is that Apache denies access to folders it hasn't been told about, so the <Directory> block is required:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName mysite.test
    DocumentRoot "D:/Projects/mysite"
    <Directory "D:/Projects/mysite">
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
</VirtualHost>

Forgetting that block is the most common cause of a 403 Forbidden error on this setup. For other Apache problems, see 9 Common XAMPP Errors on Windows.

🧯 Common Errors and How to Fix Them

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
403 Forbidden	Missing Require all granted in the <Directory> block, or the path doesn't match DocumentRoot	Add a <Directory> block with the same path as DocumentRoot and restart Apache.
DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN	The hosts line is missing, misspelled or unsaved, or Windows has cached an old result	Re-open the hosts file and check the line, then run ipconfig /flushdns.
Apache won't start after editing	Syntax error in a config file, such as a missing </VirtualHost> or a stray quote	Run httpd.exe -t to find the file and line, and read C:\xampp\apache\logs\error.log.
localhost shows the wrong site	No localhost virtual host, so Apache falls back to the first block in the file	Add the localhost block above all others, restart, and confirm with httpd.exe -S.
Browser forces HTTPS or says "not secure"	An HSTS-preloaded extension such as .dev or .app, or the browser's HTTPS-first mode	Switch to .test and type http:// explicitly. HTTPS for virtual hosts is a separate setup.
You still see the XAMPP dashboard at mysite.test	ServerName doesn't match the hosts entry, DocumentRoot is wrong, the block is commented out, or Apache wasn't restarted	Compare the spelling in both files, run httpd.exe -S to see which names Apache knows, then restart.
Can't save the hosts file	Editor not running as Administrator, or security software protects the file	Reopen Notepad with Run as administrator and check your antivirus hosts-protection setting.

Virtual Hosts in XAMPP vs Laragon Auto Virtual Hosts

XAMPP needs manual edits for every site. Laragon can create a .test hostname automatically when you add a folder to its www directory.

Task	XAMPP (manual)	Laragon (auto)
Add a new site	Edit two files and restart Apache	Create a folder in www
Hosts file	Edit as Administrator each time	Handled by Laragon
Control over config	Full, every directive visible	Template-based
Best for	Learning how Apache works, or an existing XAMPP setup	Many projects with the least setup

To try the alternative, follow How to Install Laragon on Windows, and compare other options in 9 Best Local Web Development Environments. WampServer is another Windows stack, covered in How to Install WampServer on Windows PC.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What is a virtual host in XAMPP?

A virtual host is an Apache feature that serves several websites from one server, choosing the site by the domain name in the request. In XAMPP you define each one in httpd-vhosts.conf and point its domain to 127.0.0.1 in the Windows hosts file, so mysite.test and other.test load different folders.

Which domain extension should I use for local development?

Use .test. It is reserved for testing, never resolves on the public internet, and browsers don't force HTTPS on it. Avoid .dev and .app, which browsers force to HTTPS, and .local, which conflicts with mDNS on some systems.

Do I need to edit the hosts file for every new site?

Yes. Every hostname needs its own line in the Windows hosts file, because the file doesn't support wildcards like *.test. Tools such as Laragon can add the entries for you automatically.

Why does localhost show the wrong site after adding a virtual host?

Once any virtual host exists, Apache serves the first one listed to every request that matches no ServerName. Add a localhost virtual host with DocumentRoot "C:/xampp/htdocs" at the top of httpd-vhosts.conf, then restart Apache.

Can I use virtual hosts with WordPress and Joomla?

Yes. Point DocumentRoot at the CMS folder and set AllowOverride All so .htaccess works. For an existing WordPress site, update WP_HOME and WP_SITEURL; for Joomla, check that $live_site in configuration.php is empty.

How do I remove a virtual host in XAMPP?

Delete its VirtualHost block from httpd-vhosts.conf, delete its line from the Windows hosts file, restart Apache, and run ipconfig /flushdns. Your project files and database stay untouched; only the domain stops working.

➡️ What's Next

• Make your local sites faster: Speed Up Localhost Performance on Windows.
• Running an older PHP? See How to Upgrade XAMPP to PHP 8.5 on Windows. Your virtual hosts are unaffected by a PHP upgrade.
• Put a CMS on your new domain: How to Install Joomla 6 on a Windows PC.

✅ Last verified on XAMPP for Windows - November 2026