Looking for a WordPress redirect plugin to set up 301 or 302 redirects on your site?
In this post, we are going to share four functional yet simple redirect plugins. We will explain how each one is different and how to set up a redirect with these plugins without having to use your site’s .htaccess
file.
Are you ready? Let’s get started.
Four WordPress redirect plugins to use in 2020
1. Redirection
Redirection is undoubtedly the most popular option for setting up a WordPress redirect. You can install this to keep an eye on your 404 errors and for creating a permanent redirect on the website level – from one web page on your domain to another in the same domain.
Features
- Login status
- Full logging
- Track 404 errors
- Easy to use
- Conditional redirects
- Apache and Nginx support
- Browser, referrer, and cookie redirects
- HTTP headers
- REGEX available
- Import & export options
- Complete documentation
How to use it
Of the four WordPress redirect plugins, this one is the simplest. Once you install it from the WordPress directory, go to the installed plugins list and hit the settings link under the Redirection plugin. It will then take you to a setup page. Click the Start setup button and check the boxes for additional features.
After this, it will begin to appear on the left sidebar. Just go to the Redirection plugin’s window.
Then, click the Redirects link. In the source URL enter /
followed by the page or post you want to redirect.
Keep the query parameters on default and enter the complete URL to which you want to redirect in the target URL field. You can even select the group for whether it’s a redirect or modified post. You can also create your own groups from the Groups tab.
Once you do this, simply click the Add Redirect button and you are good to go. If redirects don’t work, clear your site’s cache and check again.
2. 301 Redirects
301 Redirects is another simple help that helps you set up both 301 (permanent) and 302 (temporary) redirects.
It offers a straightforward interface, as well as features like 404 error logging.
Features
- Custom destination URL
- Quick redirection
- Easy-to-use dashboard
- Simple redirect stats
- Import/export available
- Query strings retention
- Refresh cache button
How to use it
The 301 Redirects plugin is beginner-friendly. To get started, go to Settings -> 301 Redirects. There, you need to enter the URL to redirect on the left and the destination URL on the right.
You can unlock additional features like blocking bad bots, priority support, and other extras by purchasing the premium version for $39 per year.
3. Easy HTTPS Redirection
Having both HTTP and HTTPS versions of your site is bad for SEO because it creates duplicate content. If you have an SSL certificate, this plugin helps you fix that.
Easy HTTPS Redirection will enforce all the HTTP requests to the HTTPS version of your site. You can even select the specific URLs that you want to keep unaffected.
Learn more about using HTTPS on WordPress 👈
Features
- HTTP to HTTPS redirection
- Force load static files
- Selective HTTPS redirects
- Regular updates
How to use it
This plugin makes changes to your site’s .htaccess file. Hence it is essential to check the HTTPS version of your URL before getting started. When you install this plugin, it will display a message on the dashboard about errors due to caching plugins.
It is highly recommended to install any cache plugins before proceeding with the redirection; once you are confident about these two issues, you just need to check the box.
Easy HTTPS Redirection will also allow you to perform a selective HTTP to HTTPS redirect by using the Apply HTTPS redirection on feature.
4. Safe Redirect Manager
Safe Redirect Manager is another easy-to-use WordPress redirect plugin for setting up both 301 and 302 redirects.
You can even use it for fixing 4xx HTTP errors. It keeps the redirection data as custom post types to save you from issues like 404 error logging.
Features
- Easy to configure
- 250 redirect limit by default for performance reasons, though you can raise this limit with a PHP filter
- Support for wildcards
- Redirection stats
- Supports multiple redirect types, including 301 and 302
- No overarching settings
- Transients API for cache
- Regular expressions available
How to use it
To access the settings, go to Tools -> Safe Redirect Manager:
After navigating this plugin, click the Create Redirect Rule button.
Next, enter the URL you want to redirect and the URL to which you want it to be redirected.
Select the HTTP status code for your redirect. If it’s the same post that you have moved to another URL, use a 301 HTTP response.
Finally, hit the publish button, and the redirect will start working immediately.
Which is the best WordPress redirect plugin for you?
That’s it. Those were the best redirect plugins out there, at least in 2020. Finding a suitable WordPress redirect plugin is not that tough. All you need to do is figure out the reason for installing the plugin.
- If you want a 301 redirection, you can opt for Redirection
- For those who need both the 301 & 302 redirects, they can go with 301 Redirects. You can unlock more HTTP response options by switching to Safe Redirect Manager.
- Lastly, you can enforce HTTP to HTTPS on the domain level by installing Easy HTTPS Redirection.
Redirects are a useful tool to make sure your visitors can get to the right destination on your site. However, you still might have times when visitors land on a broken URL. In those cases, you should also create a custom 404 page to help them get to the right spot.
Do you have any questions about setting up redirects on WordPress? Let us know in the comments section!
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