How to Add Redirects in WordPress?

Ensuring a smooth and intuitive user experience is important in the bustling world of website management. Imagine a visitor landing on a page that no longer exists—frustration builds, and you risk losing them forever. Redirects are the unsung heroes of website navigation, guiding users seamlessly to the right content and preserving your hard-earned traffic. In this article, we will explore how to add redirects in WordPress, making it easy for you to keep your site running smoothly. Whether you’re a seasoned webmaster or a WordPress newbie, this guide is here to help you navigate the process easily and confidently. Join me as we dive into the world of redirects and learn how to keep your website visitor-friendly and error-free.

What is WordPress Redirect?

A WordPress redirect is a technique for sending users and search engines from one URL to another. It functions as a forwarding mechanism, automatically redirecting anyone who visits a given URL to another URL. Redirects are commonly used when a page’s URL changes and you want to ensure visitors are directed to the new site rather than receiving a 404 Not Found error.

There are different types of redirects, the most common are

• 301 Redirects
• 302 Redirects

How to Add Redirects in WordPress?

There are two methods to add redirects in WordPress manually with code or use a plugin with a user-friendly interface. Here is a step-by-step guide for adding a redirect in WordPress:

Using a Plugin

• Install and activate the Redirection Plugin.
• In your dashboard, navigate to Tools > Redirection.

• Click the Startup Setup option.
• On the next screen, you can allow Redirection to generate automatic redirects when you update permalinks. You can also specify whether you want the plugin to record 404 errors and redirects on your website.

• Choose your options and then click Continue Setup.
• Next, Redirection will test its connection to the WordPress REST API. Once this test is completed, click Finish Setup, then Finished!
• This will navigate you to your dashboard’s main Redirection page, which is located under Tools > Redirection. You can see all of the current redirects and logs of redirect activity and 404 errors.

• To add a new redirect,  enter the URL you want to do a redirect from in the Source URL section. Enter the URL you want to redirect to in the Target URL field.
• This will automatically generate a 301 redirect. Click the cog option to change the redirect or to access advanced settings.
• When you are finished, click Add Redirect. Your new redirect will be added to the list. To test your redirect, click Check Redirect and ensure you are routed to the desired URL. 

Manually Add Redirect

There are various options to add redirects in WordPress. The. htaccess file provides the most direct option. You should make a backup first. Because you are about to edit your website code, any errors may result in limited access to your site. 

• First, connect to your web server via FTP.
• Open the. htaccess file in the WordPress installation’s root directory. If you can’t find the file, choose Show Hidden Files and turn it on.
• Open. htaccess in a text editor.
• To permanently redirect a single page, add the following code to the end of your. htaccess file.

# 301 redirect – single pageRedirect 301 /old-page https://www.example.com/new-page/

• To permanently redirect an entire site to another domain, add the following code to the end of your. htaccess file.

# 301 redirect – site-wide Redirect 301 / https://example.com/

• Save the file and re-upload it to your server as needed.
• Test the redirect by going to the old URL and ensuring you’re taken to the new one.

Conclusion

Adding redirects in WordPress is crucial for ensuring a seamless user experience and protecting your site’s SEO value. Whether you install a plugin or change the. htaccess file, effectively adding redirects in Wordpress ensures that your visitors are always directed to the correct page. By following the techniques provided in this guide, you can confidently handle redirects and optimize the navigation on your WordPress site.