Redirect Rules Builder

REDIRECT RULES BUILDER TOOL

What Are 301 Redirects?

A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect from one URL to another. It tells search engines that a page has permanently moved to a new location, transferring approximately 90-99% of the original page’s ranking power (link equity) to the new URL.

301 redirects are essential for technical SEO because they preserve your search rankings during URL changes, prevent 404 errors, and ensure users and search engines reach the correct content.

When to Use 301 Redirects

  • Domain Migration: Moving from oldsite.com to newsite.com
  • HTTPS Migration: Switching from HTTP to secure HTTPS protocol
  • URL Structure Changes: Updating WordPress permalink structures (e.g., from /?p=123 to /sample-post/)
  • Content Consolidation: Merging duplicate or thin content pages
  • WWW Preferences: Enforcing www or non-www consistently across your site
  • Category Restructuring: Changing category or tag URL structures
  • Removed Content: Redirecting deleted pages to relevant alternatives (instead of 404 errors)

301 vs. 302 Redirects: What’s the Difference?

🔴 301 Redirect (Permanent):

  • Indicates a permanent move
  • Transfers ~90-99% of SEO value (link equity)
  • Search engines replace the old URL with the new one in their index
  • Use for: Permanent URL changes, domain migrations, HTTPS migration

🟡 302 Redirect (Temporary):

  • Indicates a temporary move
  • Does not transfer SEO value (link equity stays with old URL)
  • Search engines keep the old URL indexed
  • Use for: Temporary promotions, A/B testing, maintenance pages

Rule of Thumb: For permanent URL changes, always use 301 redirects. Only use 302 for truly temporary situations.

Apache .htaccess vs. Nginx Redirect Syntax

Different web servers use different syntax for redirects. Our builder generates production-ready code for both Apache (.htaccess) and Nginx servers.

✅ Apache .htaccess Syntax:

# Redirect single page
Redirect 301 /old-page /new-page# Redirect entire folder
Redirect 301 /old-folder/ https://yoursite.com/new-folder/
  • Used on Apache servers (most WordPress hosting)
  • Place rules in .htaccess file in root directory
  • Simple syntax, easy to read and maintain
  • Common on Hostinger, SiteGround, Bluehost, WP Engine

✅ Nginx Syntax:

# Redirect single page
rewrite ^/old-page$ /new-page permanent;# Redirect with return
location = /old-page {
return 301 https://yoursite.com/new-page;
}
  • Used on Nginx servers (high-traffic sites)
  • Place rules in nginx.conf or site configuration
  • More performant than Apache for high-traffic sites
  • Common on Cloudways, DigitalOcean, VPS hosting

Redirect Best Practices for SEO

  1. Always Use 301 for Permanent Moves: Preserves SEO value and tells Google the change is permanent
  2. Redirect to Relevant Content: Don’t redirect all pages to homepage—redirect to the most relevant alternative
  3. Avoid Redirect Chains: Don’t create A→B→C redirects; redirect directly A→C
  4. Update Internal Links: After redirecting, update internal links to point directly to the new URL
  5. Test Before Deploying: Always test redirects in a staging environment before going live
  6. Monitor Search Console: Watch for crawl errors and indexing issues after migration
  7. Keep Redirects Permanent: Don’t remove 301 redirects after a few months—keep them indefinitely

Common Redirect Scenarios

📋 Example 1: HTTPS Migration

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

📋 Example 2: WWW to Non-WWW

# Force non-WWW
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.(.*)$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%1/$1 [R=301,L]

📋 Example 3: Bulk URL Migration

# Multiple redirects
Redirect 301 /old-blog-post-1 /new-blog-post-1
Redirect 301 /old-blog-post-2 /new-blog-post-2
Redirect 301 /old-blog-post-3 /new-blog-post-3

How to Use This Redirect Rules Builder

  1. Prepare a list of old URLs and their new destinations
  2. Enter each pair on a separate line (old-path new-path)
  3. Choose your server type (Apache .htaccess or Nginx)
  4. Select redirect type (301 permanent or 302 temporary)
  5. Click “Build Rules” to generate redirect code
  6. Copy the generated code
  7. Paste into your .htaccess file or nginx.conf
  8. Test each redirect to ensure it works correctly

Testing Your Redirects

  1. Use online redirect checkers (e.g., httpstatus.io)
  2. Check browser dev tools (Network tab) for 301 status codes
  3. Use command line: curl -I https://yoursite.com/old-page
  4. Verify in Google Search Console under “Coverage” report
  5. Monitor for 404 errors in Search Console after deployment

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