How to automatically start Apache on macOS boot

Apache is installed by default on macOS, but it's not configured to start during system boot automatically. For this, you'll have to manually start the httpd process every time you want to use it.

user@host $ sudo apachectl -k start
Password:
AH00112: Warning: DocumentRoot [/usr/docs/dummy-host.example.com] does not exist
AH00112: Warning: DocumentRoot [/usr/docs/dummy-host2.example.com] does not exist

It's a good default setting as most macOS users will not need a web server running all the time in the background. However, if you're a web developer, you might want Apache to start automatically whenever macOS boots up.

1. Launch Terminal application.
2. Check if current Apache configuration is valid.

   Related: How to check Apache configuration

3. Start httpd process manually to use Apache immediately.

   $ sudo apachectl -k start

4. Check if httpd process successfully run.

   ps -aef | grep httpd
       0   161     1   0 Sun04AM ??         0:04.05 /usr/sbin/httpd -D FOREGROUND
     501   800   161   0 Sun04AM ??         0:02.54 /usr/sbin/httpd -D FOREGROUND
     501  1007   161   0 Sun04AM ??         0:02.62 /usr/sbin/httpd -D FOREGROUND
     501  1381   161   0 Sun07AM ??         0:01.71 /usr/sbin/httpd -D FOREGROUND
     501  4472   161   0 Tue07AM ??         0:01.74 /usr/sbin/httpd -D FOREGROUND
     501  4473   161   0 Tue07AM ??         0:01.17 /usr/sbin/httpd -D FOREGROUND
     501  4474   161   0 Tue07AM ??         0:01.06 /usr/sbin/httpd -D FOREGROUND

5. Use launchctl to automatically load Apache's startup script during system boot.

   $ sudo launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/org.apache.httpd.plist
   Password:

6. Disable Apache from automatically starting up during system boot when no longer necessary.

   $ sudo launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/org.apache.httpd.plist