WordPress Redirects: A Guide

For web designers and developers, WordPress is an incredibly popular platform for building websites and blogs due to its many features and customization options. But what if you need to redirect a WordPress page to another website? Whether you’re migrating to a new domain or just redirecting traffic, the process is simple, and we’ll explain how to do it below.

Understanding Redirects

Redirects are a way to send users from one web page to another. They come in different types, including:

• Permanent (301) redirects, which tell search engines and other websites that a page has permanently moved.
• Temporary (302) redirects, which are used when a page has only moved temporarily, such as during a website redesign or maintenance.
• Meta refresh redirects, which redirect visitors to another page after a set amount of time.

Using a Plugin

One of the easiest ways to set up a redirect in WordPress is by using a plugin. Here’s how to do it with the Redirection plugin:

1. Install and activate the Redirection plugin.
2. Go to the “Tools” section in the WordPress dashboard and click on “Redirection.”
3. In the “Add new redirection” section, enter the old URL in the “Source URL” field and the new URL in the “Target URL” field.
4. Choose the type of redirect you want to use, such as 301 or 302.
5. Click on “Add Redirect” to save the changes.

Using .htaccess File

Another way to set up a redirect in WordPress is by editing the .htaccess file:

1. Access your website’s .htaccess file using an FTP client or cPanel.
2. Add the following line of code at the beginning of the file:

Redirect 301 /oldpage.html http://www.example.com/newpage.html

3. Replace “/oldpage.html” with the URL of the page you want to redirect and “http://www.example.com/newpage.html” with the URL of the new page or website.
4. Save the changes to the .htaccess file.

Using a Shortcode

If you only need to redirect a specific page or post in WordPress, you can use a shortcode to do so:

1. Install and activate the “Page Links To” plugin.
2. Go to the page or post you want to redirect and open it in the editor.
3. Scroll down to the “Page Links To” section and enter the URL of the page or website you want to redirect to.
4. Save the changes to the page or post.

Best Practices for Redirects

When setting up redirects in WordPress, keep these best practices in mind:

• Use only one type of redirect.
• Keep the old URL structure if possible.
• Test the redirect to make sure it’s working correctly.
• Update internal links after setting up a redirect.

Redirecting a WordPress page is a simple process, but following best practices will help ensure that your website remains SEO-friendly and performs well. By using the methods described above, you can redirect pages without impacting your website’s performance or search engine rankings.