How to redirect a website or domain

When setting up a redirect, it’s crucial to first determine the purpose and type of redirect you need. Redirects serve different purposes, and selecting the right type ensures that search engines, web browsers, and users are guided properly without unintended consequences.

Choosing the Right Redirect Type

The first step in setting up a redirect is deciding whether the change is temporary or permanent.

Temporary Redirects (Short-Term Changes)

Temporary redirects are useful when you want to preserve the original URL for future use. They inform search engines not to update their indexed URLs permanently.

1️⃣ 302 Found (Moved Temporarily)

• A 302 redirect tells search engines and browsers that the requested resource has temporarily moved to a new URL.
• Useful for:
  • A/B testing a new page before committing to a full migration.
  • Redirecting users during maintenance or site updates.
  • Seasonal promotions or event-based pages.
• Example Use Case:
  If a store temporarily redirects traffic from /holiday-sale to /summer-sale, but plans to bring back /holiday-sale later.

2️⃣ 307 Temporary Redirect

• Similar to a 302 redirect but with stricter handling of request methods (e.g., ensures POST requests are not changed to GET).
• Recommended when redirecting forms or API endpoints that require users to resubmit data securely.
• Ensures the original URL remains the valid destination for future requests.

Permanent Redirects (Long-Term or Permanent Changes)

If you are permanently moving a webpage or an entire domain, use one of these redirects. Permanent redirects tell search engines to update their index, ensuring that ranking authority is transferred to the new URL.

1️⃣ 301 Moved Permanently

• The most common and SEO-friendly redirect.
• Tells search engines that the original URL is no longer in use and that all traffic should be directed to the new URL permanently.
• Ideal for:
  • Domain migrations (e.g., oldsite.com → newsite.com).
  • Merging two websites into one.
  • Changing URLs to a more structured format.

2️⃣ 308 Permanent Redirect

• Similar to a 301 but retains the original request method (e.g., a POST request remains a POST).
• Recommended for API endpoints or e-commerce transactions where request integrity matters.

Special Redirects

In some cases, you may need a different type of redirect for handling specific requests.

3️⃣ 303 See Other

• Used after form submissions to prevent users from re-submitting data when refreshing the page.
• Typically directs users to a confirmation page after completing an action.

Implementing Redirects in Web Servers

The method of implementing redirects depends on the web server software you’re using.

Apache (.htaccess) Redirects

For Apache-based servers, the easiest way to set up redirects is through the .htaccess file located in the root directory of your website.

301 Permanent Redirect (Domain Migration)

To redirect all traffic from oldsite.com to newsite.com while preserving paths:

RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^oldsite\.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://newsite.com/$1 [R=301,L]

Breakdown:

• RewriteEngine on → Enables the mod_rewrite engine.
• RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^oldsite\.com$ [NC] → Matches requests to oldsite.com (case-insensitive).
• RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://newsite.com/$1 [R=301,L] → Redirects all paths while preserving the URL structure.

Redirecting a Specific Page

If you need to redirect only one page (e.g., /old-page to /new-page):

Redirect 301 /old-page https://newsite.com/new-page

Redirecting HTTP to HTTPS

To enforce HTTPS:

RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}/$1 [R=301,L]

⚠ Note: Ensure that AllowOverride is set to All in your Apache configuration file, or .htaccess rules will be ignored.

LiteSpeed Web Server

• LiteSpeed supports Apache .htaccess rules, so you can use the same syntax.
• It also fully supports mod_rewrite, making it an easy transition if moving from Apache.

NGINX Redirects

For Nginx, you’ll need to modify the configuration file (typically found at /etc/nginx/nginx.conf or in your site’s specific configuration under /etc/nginx/sites-available/).

301 Permanent Redirect (Domain Change)

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name oldsite.com;
    return 301 https://newsite.com$request_uri;
}

This configuration ensures:

• All requests to oldsite.com are redirected to newsite.com.
• The request path (/page1) is preserved.

Redirecting a Specific Page

location /old-page {
    return 301 https://newsite.com/new-page;
}

Redirecting HTTP to HTTPS

To enforce HTTPS:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yoursite.com;
    return 301 https://yoursite.com$request_uri;
}

⚠ Note: After modifying the Nginx configuration, restart the service:

sudo systemctl restart nginx

Testing Your Redirects

After setting up redirects, verify that they work correctly:

1. Using a web browser:

   • Simply type the old URL and check if it redirects properly.

2. Using cURL in the command line:

   curl -I http://oldsite.com/old-page
   

   • The response should show 301 Moved Permanently or 302 Found.

3. Using an Online Redirect Checker:

   • Tools like Redirect Checker can help validate if the redirection is applied correctly.

Final Recommendations

✔ Use 301 redirects for permanent moves (best for SEO).
✔ Use 302 or 307 for temporary changes (keeps search engines from updating indexes).
✔ Use server-level redirects (.htaccess for Apache, server blocks for Nginx) for the best performance.
✔ Test all redirects using cURL or online tools to confirm they work as expected.
✔ Restart your web server (Apache/Nginx) after making configuration changes.

By following these guidelines, you can ensure smooth and effective redirection of traffic while preserving SEO value and user experience. 🚀