What are URL redirects?
A URL redirect, also known as a website redirect or URL forwarding, is a technique used to send users from one web page or website to another. It is a way to automatically redirect traffic from one URL to another URL.
URL redirects are commonly used in these four scenarios:
- Website Rebranding or Restructuring When a website undergoes a rebranding or restructuring, URLs of certain pages may change. Redirects are implemented from the old URLs to the new URLs to ensure that users who access the old URLs are automatically directed to the corresponding new URLs.
- Changing Domain Names If a website changes its domain name, redirects are set up from the old domain to the new domain so that visitors accessing the old domain are redirected to the new domain.
- Permanently Moved Content If a web page, image, audio file or PDF is permanently moved to a different URL, a redirect can be set up to automatically send users who access the old URL to the new URL where the content is now located.
- Temporary Content Relocation If a web page, image, audio file or PDF, for example, may be temporarily moved to a different URL. Temporary redirects, also known as 302 redirects, are used to redirect users to the temporary location for a specific period. After that specific period, the redirect can be removed, and users will be directed back to the original URL.
URL redirects are implemented through server-side configurations or scripts. Common HTTP redirect status codes include:
- 301 Moved Permanently: Indicates a permanent redirect.
- 302 302 Moved Temporarily: Indicates a temporary redirect.
- 307 Temporary Redirect: Similar to 302, indicating a temporary redirect.
- 308 Permanent Redirect: Similar to 301, indicating a permanent redirect.
URL redirects are technical SEO elements for maintaining website accessibility and search engine rankings of websites during changes or updates, providing a friction less user experience and preserving your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) efforts.