How to Redirect a Website to Another Website in WordPress?

Redirecting a website to another website can be quite challenging, especially when dealing with a WordPress website. This article aims to show you a step-by-step guide on how to redirect a website to another website WordPress methodically.

Understanding Redirect and its Types

Before diving into the specifics of redirecting a site to another website in WordPress, it is crucial to first understand what a redirect is and the different types of redirects. A redirect is a helpful tool that webmasters use to send their site visitors from one URL to another. Three common types of redirects include the 301 redirects, 302 redirects, and meta refresh redirects.

301 Redirects

This type of redirect is usually permanent and sends users and search engines to another website permanently. The 301 redirect is ideal when fully switching to a new domain name or URL, channeling search engines to transfer the old page’s ranking to the new page for visitors to keep finding the website on search engine results pages (SERPs).

302 Redirects

The 302 redirects are temporary redirects used when a website undergoes construction or is in beta testing. It sends users and search engines to another website temporarily, without offering page ranking benefits, since it is temporary.

Meta Refresh Redirects

The Meta refresh redirect is an auto-loading redirect that takes users to the new URL after several seconds. It’s not ideal because it results in poor user experience and is rarely used in redirecting websites.

Step-by-Step Guide on Redirecting a Website to Another Website in WordPress

Step 1: Installing a Redirection Plugin

Install a redirection plugin, like Safe Redirect Manager, Redirection, or Simple 301 Redirects, to perform redirect actions. In this article, we’ll use the Redirection plugin. To download and install, log in to your WordPress site, navigate to Plugins > Add New, type ‘redirection’ on the search box, hit enter, press the Install Now button, and wait for the installation process to finish. Once complete, click the Activate button to activate the plugin.

Step 2: Creating a Redirect

Navigate to Tools > Redirection, click the Add New button to create a new redirect. In the Source URL field, enter the old URL. In the Target URL field, enter the new website’s URL. Under the Type dropdown, choose the type of redirect you want to perform, 301 Moved Permanently for this tutorial. Finally, click the Add Redirect button to save and activate the new redirect.

Step 3: Testing the Redirect

To test if your redirect works, open a new browser window and type the old URL address you added in the Source URL field. If correctly working, it will automatically redirect to the new URL added in the Target URL field.

Conclusion

Redirecting a website to another website WordPress is easy and straightforward if you follow these simple steps. Remember to choose the appropriate redirect type that best suits your needs and test your URL before going live with your redirect to ensure it redirects to the correct website.