You move a page, change a domain, or clean up old content, and suddenly visitors land on a 404 and Google starts dropping your rankings. A broken link wastes crawl budget, frustrates users, and quietly bleeds the authority you spent months building. URL redirection fixes this. Set up the right redirect and both people and search engines get sent to the correct page automatically, keeping your traffic, your link equity, and your sanity intact.

What is URL redirection?

URL redirection is a technique that automatically sends a visitor, or a search engine, from the URL they requested to a different URL. The server answers the request with a redirect status code and the address of the new location, and the browser follows it without the user doing anything.

You will also see it called URL forwarding. When every page on a whole domain points somewhere else, that is domain forwarding, but the mechanism is the same.

A redirect is really just a signpost. It tells browsers and crawlers that the content they wanted now lives at a new address, so nobody hits a dead end.

A worked example: redirecting an old URL to a new one

Say you publish a guide at yoursite.com/seo-tips and later restructure the site so the guide now lives at yoursite.com/blog/seo-tips.

Without a redirect, anyone who clicks the old link, and every bookmark or backlink pointing to it, lands on a 404 error. With a 301 redirect in place, the server sends both the visitor and Googlebot straight to /blog/seo-tips, and the ranking signals the old URL earned carry across to the new one.

Why and when to use URL redirection

You reach for a redirect whenever a URL changes or disappears and you still want people, and search engines, to find the right page. The most common situations are:

  • Migrating to a new domain. Moving from an old domain to a new one means redirecting every page worth keeping so its traffic and authority follow.
  • Consolidating sites or pages. If you merge two websites, or fold several overlapping articles into one, redirect the old URLs into the single page you want to keep.
  • Retiring e-commerce products. When a product is out of stock, discontinued, or in low demand, redirect it to the nearest alternative instead of showing a dead page.
  • Running a seasonal promotion. A limited-time campaign page can be redirected temporarily and switched back on when you need it again.
  • Deleting or reworking old content. If a page you are removing still performs, redirect it so you keep its SEO value rather than losing it to a 404.
  • Shortening long URLs. Redirects sit behind short, shareable links that forward to a longer destination.
  • Forcing HTTPS or a single domain version. A redirect can push every visitor to the secure HTTPS version of a page, or settle on either the www or non-www version so search engines see one canonical site.

Types of URL redirects

Not every redirect behaves the same way. Some are permanent and pass on ranking signals, some are temporary and deliberately do not, and a couple change how the browser handles the request itself.

Here is how the main HTTP redirect status codes compare.

Status code

Permanent or temporary

Request method behaviour

SEO signal

301 Moved Permanently

Permanent

May change POST to GET on older clients

Passes ranking signals; index updated

302 Found

Temporary

May change POST to GET on older clients

Keeps old URL indexed; no transfer

303 See Other

Temporary

Always changes the method to GET

Used after forms; not an SEO tool

307 Temporary Redirect

Temporary

Preserves the method and body exactly

Keeps old URL indexed; no transfer

308 Permanent Redirect

Permanent

Preserves the method and body exactly

Passes ranking signals, like a 301

Meta refresh

Client-side

Reloads the page after a set delay

Discouraged; weak or no transfer

301 Moved Permanently

A 301 tells browsers and search engines that a page has moved for good. It is the redirect you will use most often for SEO, because permanent redirects like 301 and 308 pass ranking signals to the new URL and prompt Google to update its index.

Use a 301 when you rebuild an old article, tidy up a messy URL, move to a new domain, or merge duplicate pages. Google confirms that permanent redirects do not cause a loss in PageRank, so you keep the authority the old page built.

One quirk worth knowing: on some older clients a 301 can switch a POST request to GET. For everyday page redirects that never matters, but it is the reason 308 exists.

302 Found (temporary)

A 302 signals a temporary move. As MDN explains for a 302, search engines keep the original URL in their index because you have told them the change is not permanent, which is exactly what you want for short-lived situations.

Reach for a 302 when you are A/B testing a page, geotargeting visitors, or sending people away from a product that is only briefly unavailable. Just keep an eye on it. Google may eventually treat a long-standing temporary redirect as permanent, so remove it once you no longer need it.

Like a 301, a 302 can let older clients change the method from POST to GET, which makes it unpredictable for form submissions.

303 See Other

A 303 always changes the follow-up request to a GET, whatever method the original request used, which MDN describes for 303 See Other.

That makes it the standard choice for the moment after a form submission, when you want to show a confirmation page rather than re-run the form. It rarely comes up in day-to-day SEO, but it completes the picture.

307 Temporary Redirect

A 307 is a temporary redirect that guarantees the browser will not change the request method or body. The difference between a 307 and a 302 is exactly this: a 302 may let older clients switch POST to GET, while a 307 keeps the method and body intact. For plain GET requests, the two behave identically.

Because it is temporary, a 307 does not pass ranking signals. If the move turns out to be permanent, use a 308 instead.

308 Permanent Redirect

A 308 is the permanent counterpart to the 307. As MDN sets out for a 308, it signals a permanent move and preserves the request method and body, unlike a 301 which can downgrade POST to GET on older clients.

Google treats 308 much like 301, so it is a clean choice when you need a permanent redirect that must keep its HTTP method, such as an API endpoint.

Meta refresh (HTML redirect)

A meta refresh is a client-side redirect written into the page’s HTML, not handled by the server. It reloads the browser to a new address after a set delay, which is where the familiar “you will be redirected in five seconds” message comes from.

Google discourages meta refresh redirects because they are slower for users and pass ranking signals poorly. Use a server-side redirect wherever you can, and treat meta refresh as a last resort when you have no server access.

300 Multiple Choices and 304 Not Modified

These two are not really redirects in the SEO sense, but you will see them in the 3xx range.

A 300 Multiple Choices means several possible responses exist and the user or browser could pick one. A 304 Not Modified is a caching response that tells the browser the page has not changed since it was last fetched, so it can reuse its cached copy. Neither moves a page to a new URL.

301 vs 302: the SEO impact of redirects

The single most common redirect mistake is reaching for the wrong one of these two, so it is worth being clear on what each does to your rankings.

A 301 is permanent and passes ranking signals. When you 301 an old page to a new one, Google transfers the old page’s authority to the new URL and updates its index to point there. Google is explicit that permanent redirects do not cause a loss in PageRank, so a correctly set up 301 protects the SEO value you have earned.

A 302 is temporary and deliberately does not pass that authority. Because you have told search engines the move is short-term, they keep the original URL in their index and hold the ranking signals there.

So the rule is simple. If the move is permanent, use a 301. If a 302 lingers on a page that has actually moved for good, you leave ranking signals stranded on a URL you no longer use. Google also advises keeping a 301 in place long enough for it to be recognised, since the change is processed per URL over repeated crawls.

How to set up a URL redirect

How you create a redirect depends on where your site lives. On most website builders you add a rule in a settings panel, while on your own server you write a line or two of configuration. Below are the routes for the platforms you are most likely to use.

Before you start, one principle applies everywhere: redirect to the closest equivalent page, not just the homepage, so visitors land somewhere useful.

WordPress

On WordPress the easiest route is a plugin, and most SEO plugins include a redirect manager. You map an old URL to a new one in a simple form, and the plugin handles the server response for you.

Using the Redirection plugin

The free Redirection plugin is a popular dedicated option. After installing and activating it, go to Tools, then Redirection. Add the old path in the Source URL field and the new one in the Target URL field, then add the redirect. It defaults to a 301, which is what you want for a permanent move.

Using Rank Math

If you use Rank Math, open its Redirections module from the Rank Math menu, click Add New, then enter your source URL, destination URL, and redirect type (301 for permanent, 302 for temporary). You can also group and filter redirects to keep large lists manageable.

Using Yoast SEO

The redirect manager in Yoast is a premium feature. In Yoast SEO Premium, open the Redirects tab, choose the redirect type, enter the old and new URLs, and save. Its handiest trick is prompting you to create a redirect automatically whenever you delete or change the slug of a post.

Shopify

Shopify has redirects built in, and it treats them as 301s. From your Shopify admin, go to Content, then Menus, and click View URL redirects. Click Create URL redirect, enter the old address under Redirect from and the new one under Redirect to, then save. To point somewhere at your store’s home page, enter a single forward slash. You can follow Shopify’s URL redirect steps for the full walkthrough.

Wix

Wix includes a URL Redirect Manager in your SEO dashboard, and it also creates 301 redirects automatically when you change a page’s slug. To add one manually, go to SEO and GEO in your site’s dashboard, scroll to Tools and settings, and open the Wix URL Redirect Manager. Click New Redirect, choose a single or group redirect, then enter the old path and the new destination.

Squarespace

Squarespace handles redirects through URL mappings and supports both 301 and 302. Go to Settings, then Advanced or Developer Tools, then URL Mappings, and write one rule per line using its arrow syntax:

				
					/old-page -> /new-page 301

The path on the left is the old URL, the path on the right is the destination, and the number is the redirect type.

Webflow

Webflow keeps redirects in your project settings, and the feature needs a paid Site plan. Go to Site Settings, then Publishing, and find the 301 Redirects section, as Webflow’s redirect guide explains. Enter the old path and the new path, then publish the site for the rule to take effect. Webflow supports wildcard paths here, which is useful when a whole folder of URLs has moved.

Server-side: Apache (.htaccess)

If your site runs on Apache and you can edit the .htaccess file, you can write redirects directly. Google’s own documentation points to Apache’s mod_alias for exactly this kind of simple permanent redirect. The simplest form sends one path to another:

				
					# Redirect a single page permanently
Redirect 301 /old-page.html https://www.example.com/new-page
 
# Redirect a whole directory
RedirectMatch 301 ^/old-folder/(.*)$ https://www.example.com/new-folder/$1

Server-side: Nginx

On Nginx you add the redirect to your server block configuration and reload the server. A permanent redirect looks like this:

				
					# Redirect a single page permanently
location = /old-page {
    return 301 https://www.example.com/new-page;
}
 
# Force HTTPS for the whole site
server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com www.example.com;
    return 301 https://example.com$request_uri;
}

The return directive sends a 301 with the new location, and $request_uri preserves the rest of the path when you are forcing HTTPS.

Cloudflare (Redirect Rules)

If your domain is proxied through Cloudflare, you can redirect without touching your origin server. Cloudflare now recommends Redirect Rules over the older Page Rules. In the dashboard, open Rules, create a Single Redirect, set the incoming request match (for example, URI path equals /old-page), then set a static target URL, a status code of 301, and save. For large lists, Bulk Redirects let you import many URL pairs from a CSV at the account level.

Registrar / DNS domain forwarding

When you want to point a whole domain somewhere else rather than redirect individual pages, most registrars offer domain forwarding. Namecheap, for instance, provides URL forwarding from your domain list, with a few flavours worth knowing:

  • Unmasked redirect shows the destination URL in the address bar. This is a normal 301 or 302 and the correct choice for SEO.
  • Masked redirect, also called URL frame, keeps your original domain showing while loading another site inside a frame. It hides the real destination and is poor for SEO, so avoid it for anything you want indexed.
  • Wildcard redirect forwards every subdomain or path variation to a single destination in one rule.

Free ways to redirect a URL

You do not need to pay for a tool to redirect a URL. Several free routes cover most needs:

  • Your registrar’s domain forwarding is usually included with a domain you already own.
  • Cloudflare’s free plan lets you create Redirect Rules once your domain is proxied through it.
  • A free WordPress plugin such as Redirection handles page-level redirects at no cost.
  • Dedicated free services such as redirect.pizza offer domain redirects with automatic HTTPS on a free tier.

For a permanent move, make sure whichever route you choose issues a 301 rather than a masked frame, so your ranking signals carry across.

Redirect best practices

A redirect that works is not always a redirect that helps your SEO. Follow these practices to make sure yours protect rankings rather than quietly leaking them.

Use 301 for permanent moves

When a page has moved for good, use a 301 (or a 308 if the request method must be preserved). Permanent redirects pass ranking signals and prompt search engines to update their index, which a temporary redirect will not do. Google recommends server-side permanent redirects whenever they are technically possible.

Redirect to the most relevant equivalent page

Send visitors to the closest match for the page they wanted, not to your homepage. A redirect to an unrelated page confuses both users and search engines, and Google treats a redirect to an irrelevant page much like a soft 404. If there is no good equivalent, letting the old URL return a 404 or 410 is sometimes the honest choice.

Update internal links to point to the final URL

Once a page has moved, update the links inside your own site so they point straight at the new URL. Leaving internal links pointing at a redirected URL forces an extra hop on every click and wastes crawl budget that could go to live pages.

Keep redirects to a single hop

Point the old URL directly at its final destination rather than through a series of intermediate URLs. Google can follow a chain of up to 10 hops, but advises redirecting to the final destination directly, and keeping any unavoidable chain to no more than three redirects. Each extra hop adds latency for users and risks losing a little ranking signal.

Update your XML sitemap after redirecting

After you redirect a batch of URLs, update your XML sitemap so it lists only the final destination URLs, never the old redirected ones. A sitemap full of URLs that only redirect sends mixed signals to crawlers. Our guide to XML sitemaps covers how to keep yours clean.

Test every redirect before and after publishing

Check that each redirect actually lands where you intended and returns the status code you expect. It is easy to fat-finger a path or set a 302 when you meant a 301, and the only way to be sure is to test the old URL and watch where it goes.

Common URL redirect mistakes to avoid

Most redirect problems come down to a handful of repeat offenders. Here is what to watch for.

Redirect chains

A redirect chain is when one URL redirects to another, which redirects to another, before reaching the final page. Chains slow the page down for users and dilute ranking signals at each hop, and long ones can stop search engines following through entirely. Flatten them by pointing the first URL straight at the last. Our guide to redirect chains goes deeper on finding and fixing them.

Redirect loops

A redirect loop happens when URLs point back at each other, so the browser bounces between them and never loads a page. You usually want a clean, linear path from A to B, not A to B and back to A. If you hit a loop, check your redirect setup for a rule pointing a URL at itself, correct your .htaccess or server config, and clear your browser cache and cookies before testing again.

Using 302 when you mean 301

A 302 left on a page that has actually moved for good tells search engines to keep the old URL indexed, so ranking signals never transfer. If the move is permanent, make sure the status code is a 301, not a 302 you set up in a hurry.

Redirecting everything to the homepage

Mass-redirecting a set of removed pages to the homepage feels tidy, but it frustrates users who wanted specific content and reads like a soft 404 to Google. Map each old URL to its closest relevant page instead.

Forgetting to update internal links and sitemaps

Setting up the redirect is only half the job. If your internal links and XML sitemap still reference the old URLs, you keep feeding crawlers and users through unnecessary hops long after the move is done.

How to check and audit your redirects

You cannot trust a redirect you have not checked, so build auditing into your routine.

For a quick single check, a free online redirect checker will trace the full path a URL takes and show you every hop and status code along the way. Tools like this are handy for spotting an accidental chain or a 302 that should be a 301.

For a whole site, a crawler such as Screaming Frog reports every redirect and its status code in bulk, and Google Search Console flags redirect issues it finds while crawling. If you run a regular technical check, our SEO audit service can fold redirect health into a wider review.

Whatever you use, the goal is the same: confirm each redirect resolves in a single hop to a live page with the status code you intended.

Open-redirect vulnerabilities: the security side of redirects

Redirects are not only an SEO tool. Handled carelessly, they open a security hole worth understanding.

An open redirect, which OWASP calls an unvalidated redirect, happens when your site builds a redirect target from user-supplied input without checking it. An attacker crafts a link that starts on your trusted domain but forwards the visitor to a malicious site. Because the visible link points at your real domain, phishing attempts using this trick look far more trustworthy.

The danger goes beyond phishing. OWASP notes open redirects can also be chained to bypass domain-based security checks in flows such as OAuth authorisation.

To stay safe, avoid building redirects from raw user input. If you must, validate the destination against a whitelist of allowed URLs rather than trying to blacklist bad ones, and use your language’s built-in URL parsing rather than string matching. Hard-coded redirects, where the destination is fixed in your code, are safe.

URL redirects and AI search (AEO and GEO)

As more people get answers from AI Overviews and tools like ChatGPT, redirects matter for how those systems see your site too.

When you consolidate duplicate or moved URLs with 301s, you help search engines settle on a single canonical version of a page. That consistency matters when an AI system decides which URL to trust and cite, because scattered duplicate URLs split the signals that identify your authoritative page.

During a migration, a broken or missing redirect can drop a URL that was already being cited in AI answers. If you are working on getting cited by AI systems, our guides to answer engine optimisation and generative engine optimisation cover the wider picture. Clean redirects are a quiet but real part of it.

Frequently Asked Questions

You can redirect a URL in several ways, depending on your setup. On a website builder such as WordPress, Shopify, Wix or Squarespace, you add a rule in the platform's redirect manager. On your own server you write a redirect in an Apache .htaccess file or your Nginx config. You can also forward a whole domain through your registrar, or through a proxy such as Cloudflare. For a permanent move, make sure the redirect is a 301.

A URL redirect is a technique that automatically forwards a visitor, and a search engine, from the URL they requested to a different URL. The server responds with a redirect status code and the new address, so the visitor reaches the right page without hitting a 404, even when the original page has moved or been removed.

A common example is moving a blog post. If you change yoursite.com/seo-tips to yoursite.com/blog/seo-tips and add a 301 redirect, anyone who visits the old address, and any backlink pointing to it, is sent automatically to the new one, carrying the old page's ranking signals across.

Yes. Several free routes cover most needs: your domain registrar's built-in forwarding, Cloudflare's free plan once your domain is proxied through it, a free WordPress plugin such as Redirection, or a free service like redirect.pizza. Just make sure whichever option you pick issues a proper 301 rather than a masked frame if the move is permanent.

Redirection sends users and search engines to the right page when a URL changes or disappears. You use it to migrate to a new domain, consolidate duplicate content, retire or move old pages without losing their SEO value, shorten links, and force a single secure version of your site. In short, it stops broken links and preserves the authority your pages have built.

The most common reasons are avoiding 404 errors when you update or delete a URL, preventing duplicate content, and preserving PageRank and backlinks when you migrate from an old domain to a new one. Without redirects, you risk losing traffic, frustrating visitors, and confusing search engine crawlers.

Final thoughts

Redirects are one of those quiet technical details that protect everything you have built. Get them right and a site move, a content clean-up, or a domain change costs you nothing in rankings, because your traffic and link equity follow the pages to their new homes.

Take a moment to check the redirects already on your site. Are any of them chains, loops, or 302s that should be 301s? Fixing those is often a fast win.

If your redirects are tangled, or a migration is coming up and you would rather not risk your rankings, our SEO agency in Singapore is happy to take a look. And if you found this guide useful, share it with someone who is about to move their site.