Whether you\u2019re changing the URL of a single page or migrating to a completely new domain, learning the ins and outs of the 301 redirect WordPress rules can help improve your site\u2019s user experience and safeguard your site’s SEO health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Here, we have distilled the process of 301 redirects in WordPress into an easy-to-follow tutorial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Key takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udcda Table of contents:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A 301 redirect, or permanent redirect, is an HTTP status code for permanently pointing a web page to a different URL. If someone types the old URL into their browser or clicks on a link that points to the old URL, your site will seamlessly take them to the new URL that you specify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, a 301 redirect tells Google that the page has permanently moved and that Google should treat the new URL the same as they did the old URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udc49 It’s important to understand 301 redirects because they help you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although five different types of redirects exist\u2014301, 302, 303, 307, and 308\u2014301 and 302 are the most commonly used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of the way Google\u2019s crawlers \u201cread\u201d these types of redirects, 301 is the preferred method of re-routing traffic to a new URL if you’re making a permanent switch. This is because it retains as much of your SEO work<\/a> as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A 302 redirect is helpful if you need to temporarily funnel traffic to a different page during times of maintenance or construction – but it should be used sparingly, and with the understanding that it won\u2019t transfer SEO benefits<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n As with most tasks in WordPress, there are many ways of setting up a 301 redirect. You can use a 301 redirect WordPress plugin, your site’s .htaccess file, Yoast SEO, and even straight PHP. The .htaccess file and redirection plugins are, however, some of the most accessible options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The free Redirection WordPress plugin is great for setting a 301 redirect in WordPress on the page level. That is, redirecting For domain-level redirects, you’re better off using the .htaccess method that we’ll show you in the next section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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What is a 301 redirect in WordPress?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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301 redirects vs 302 redirects<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How to set up a 301 redirect in WordPress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Method one: Use the Redirection WordPress plugin for page-level 301 redirects<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
yoursite.com\/old-page<\/code> to yoursite.com\/new-page<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n