The mention of using "NOT character ('!')" in rule patterns as negative match no longer matches implementation: https://tomcat.apache.org/tomcat-8.5-doc/rewrite.html In the rules, the NOT character ('!') is also available as a possible pattern prefix. This enables you to negate a pattern; to say, for instance: ``if the current URL does NOT match this pattern''. This can be used for exceptional cases, where it is easier to match the negative pattern, or as a last default rule. The current implementation uses java.util.regex, which does not support a simple ! prefix as a negative match regex: https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/index.html?java/util/regex/Pattern.html Instead, you need to use zero-width lookahead like this (to match any URL but /portal/api/.*) ^(?!/portal/api/.*).*$ This inaccurate documentation exist in all versions, at least since 8.0.x. For backward compatibility to the above documentation, RewriteRule needs the `positive` variable and logic found in the RewriteCond class.
Thanks for the report. Fixed in: - master for 9.0.23 onwards - 8.5.x for 8.5.44 onwards The RewriteValve is not present in 7.0.x