Key takeaways
- Use 301 redirects when a URL changes permanently, so visitors and rankings follow to the new page.
- A redirect plugin is the easiest option; server or CDN rules are best for bulk and high-traffic sites.
- Redirect to the most relevant page, avoid chains, and monitor 404s.
Every time you change a slug, delete a post, merge articles or restructure a site, old URLs break. Without redirects, visitors hit 404 pages and the links and rankings those URLs earned are lost. Here’s how to manage redirects in WordPress properly.
When you need a redirect#
- You changed a post or page URL (slug).
- You merged two articles into one.
- You deleted content that has a close replacement.
- You moved from HTTP to HTTPS, or to a new domain.
- You restructured categories or permalinks.
Methods compared#
| Method | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Redirection plugin | Most sites | Free, logs 404s, supports regex |
| SEO plugin redirect manager | Sites using Rank Math (free) or Yoast Premium | Can auto-create redirects when slugs change |
| .htaccess (Apache/LiteSpeed) | Domain moves, bulk patterns | Fast, runs before WordPress loads |
| Nginx config | Nginx servers | Ask your host if you don’t have access |
| Cloudflare redirect rules | High-traffic sites, domain-level rules | Run at the edge, very fast |
.htaccess examples#
# Single page
Redirect 301 /old-page/ https://example.com/new-page/
# Pattern: move /blog/post-name/ to /post-name/
RedirectMatch 301 ^/blog/(.*)$ https://example.com/$1
# Whole domain to new domain (same paths)
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^(www.)?old-domain.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://new-domain.com/$1 [R=301,L]Place custom rules above the # BEGIN WordPress block, and keep a backup of the file.
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Automatic redirects WordPress already does#
- When you change a published post’s slug, WordPress stores the old slug and redirects to the new one.
- Canonical redirects fix minor variations (missing trailing slash,
?p=123to the pretty URL). - This theme 301-redirects URLs of old posts it removed during setup to matching new articles or the blog index.
Best practices#
- Relevant targets: redirect to the closest equivalent; mass redirects to the homepage are treated as soft 404s.
- No chains: when adding a new redirect, update older ones to point at the final URL — see redirect chains.
- Update internal links rather than relying on redirects.
- Keep redirects long-term, especially for URLs with backlinks.
- Use 302 only for genuinely temporary moves.
Find URLs that need redirects#
- Search Console → Pages → “Not found (404)”.
- The Redirection plugin’s 404 log.
- Backlink tools’ “broken backlinks” report.
- Before a migration, crawl the old site to export every URL.
Concepts: 301 redirect, HTTP status codes.
Redirects FAQ#
Do too many redirects slow WordPress?#
Thousands of plugin-based rules can add overhead to every request. Move bulk or pattern rules to the server or CDN.
Should I redirect all 404s to the homepage?#
No. Redirect only when a relevant replacement exists; otherwise return a helpful 404 page.
How long should redirects stay?#
At least a year; permanently for URLs that have backlinks or ongoing traffic.