What is Redirection?
Redirection is the most popular redirect manager for WordPress, trusted by site owners for over 10 years. It allows you to easily manage 301 redirections, keep track of 404 errors, and fix loose ends on your website—all without needing any server or coding knowledge.
The Importance of Redirects in WordPress
Redirects are a crucial part of website management, especially for WordPress sites that frequently undergo content updates, restructuring, or migrations. When URLs change—whether due to renaming posts, deleting pages, or moving to a new domain—users and search engines can encounter broken links, resulting in 404 errors. These errors not only frustrate visitors but can also negatively impact your site’s SEO and search rankings. Implementing proper redirects ensures that both users and search engines are seamlessly guided to the correct content, preserving your site’s authority and user experience.
Redirection makes this process simple and accessible, even for those without technical expertise. By providing a user-friendly interface and powerful features, it empowers site owners to take control of their site’s redirects without needing to edit server configuration files or write complex rules.
Key Features
- Easy Redirect Management: Create and manage redirects quickly, no Apache or Nginx knowledge required. The plugin integrates directly into your WordPress dashboard, allowing you to add, edit, and delete redirects with just a few clicks. You can specify the source and target URLs, choose the type of redirect (301, 302, etc.), and even group redirects for better organization.
- Conditional Redirects: Redirect based on login status, browser, referrer, and more. This advanced feature allows you to create rules that only apply under certain conditions. For example, you can redirect users who are not logged in to a specific landing page, or send mobile users to a mobile-optimized version of your site. You can also set up redirects based on the referring website, enabling you to tailor the user experience for visitors coming from specific sources.
- Full Logging: Track all redirects, see hit counts, and export logs for analysis. Redirection maintains a detailed log of every redirect that occurs on your site, including information about the visitor, their browser, and the referring page. This data is invaluable for understanding how users interact with your site and identifying which redirects are most frequently used. You can filter and search the logs, export them for further analysis, and use the insights to optimize your site’s structure.
- 404 Error Tracking: Monitor and fix 404 errors directly from the plugin. Redirection automatically logs every 404 error encountered by visitors, providing you with a comprehensive list of broken links on your site. You can quickly create redirects to fix these errors, ensuring that users are always directed to relevant content. This proactive approach helps maintain a positive user experience and protects your site’s SEO.
- Apache & Nginx Support: Export redirects to .htaccess or Nginx rewrite rules for advanced users. While Redirection handles redirects within WordPress by default, power users can choose to export their rules to server configuration files. This allows for even faster and more efficient redirects, as they are processed at the server level before WordPress is loaded. The plugin provides clear instructions and tools for exporting and importing rules, making it easy to integrate with your existing server setup.
- Import & Export: Move redirects between sites, import from other plugins, and export to CSV, JSON, or server config files. Redirection supports a wide range of import and export options, allowing you to transfer your redirects between different sites or backup your configuration. You can import redirects from popular plugins like Simple 301 Redirects, SEO Redirection, and Safe Redirect Manager, as well as from WordPress’s old slug redirects. Export options include CSV for spreadsheets, JSON for programmatic use, and direct export to .htaccess or Nginx files.
- Regular Expression Support: Create powerful redirect patterns using regular expressions. This feature enables you to match multiple URLs with a single rule, making it easy to manage complex redirect scenarios. For example, you can redirect all URLs in a specific category to a new location, or handle legacy URL structures from previous versions of your site.
- Automatic Redirects for Permalink Changes: Redirection can monitor your posts and pages for permalink changes and automatically create redirects when a URL is updated. This ensures that any links to your old URLs continue to work, even after you reorganize your content.
- User-Friendly Interface: The plugin is designed with usability in mind, featuring a clean and intuitive interface that integrates seamlessly with the WordPress admin dashboard. You don’t need any technical knowledge to get started, and comprehensive documentation is available to guide you through advanced features.
Why Use Redirection?
Redirection helps reduce errors, improve your site’s SEO, and makes managing changes to your site’s URLs simple and safe. It’s suitable for any size site, from a few redirects to thousands. Here are some scenarios where Redirection proves invaluable:
- Site Migrations: When moving your site to a new domain or changing your URL structure, Redirection ensures that all old URLs are properly redirected to their new locations, preserving your search engine rankings and user bookmarks.
- Content Updates: If you frequently update or reorganize your content, Redirection makes it easy to manage the resulting URL changes and prevent broken links.
- SEO Optimization: By fixing 404 errors and managing redirects, you can improve your site’s crawlability and ensure that search engines index your content correctly.
- User Experience: Redirects help guide users to the right content, even if they follow outdated or mistyped links, reducing frustration and bounce rates.
“This is my go-to plugin for redirections. I’ve been using it for many years, and it continues to serve us well.”
— Michael Torbert, All in One SEO“Redirection is a vital tool for me, without it I’d need to rebuild the entire site.”
— Bill Bennett“This has always been a great plugin… can’t live without this one when launching a new site. Great work!”
— @mickmel
How to Get Started with Redirection
Getting started with Redirection is straightforward. Simply install the plugin from the WordPress plugin directory or download it from the official site. Once activated, you’ll find a new Redirection menu in your WordPress dashboard. From there, you can begin adding redirects, monitoring 404 errors, and exploring the plugin’s advanced features.
Step-by-Step Installation Guide
- Install the Plugin: Go to your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Plugins > Add New, and search for “Redirection.” Click “Install Now” and then “Activate.”
- Access the Redirection Dashboard: After activation, you’ll see a new Redirection menu item. Click it to open the plugin’s dashboard.
- Configure Basic Settings: The setup wizard will guide you through the initial configuration, including enabling 404 error tracking and logging.
- Add Your First Redirect: Click “Add New” to create your first redirect. Enter the source URL (the old URL) and the target URL (the new destination). Choose the redirect type (301 for permanent, 302 for temporary) and save your changes.
- Monitor and Manage Redirects: Use the dashboard to view, edit, and organize your redirects. Check the logs to see which redirects are being used and identify any issues.
- Fix 404 Errors: Review the 404 error log to find broken links and quickly create redirects to fix them.
Tips for Effective Redirect Management
- Use 301 Redirects for Permanent Changes: A 301 redirect tells search engines that a URL has permanently moved, transferring SEO value to the new location.
- Group Related Redirects: Organize your redirects into groups for easier management, especially on large sites.
- Regularly Review Logs: Check the redirect and 404 logs to identify patterns, fix recurring issues, and optimize your site’s structure.
- Test Your Redirects: After creating a redirect, test it in your browser to ensure it works as expected.
- Leverage Regular Expressions: Use regex for advanced redirect scenarios, but be careful—incorrect patterns can cause unexpected behavior.
Advanced Features and Use Cases
Redirection is packed with advanced features that cater to power users and developers:
- WP CLI Integration: Manage redirects from the command line using WP CLI, perfect for automating tasks or managing large numbers of redirects.
- REST API Support: Integrate Redirection with other tools and services using its REST API.
- Role-Based Access Control: Limit access to redirect management based on user roles, ensuring only authorized users can make changes.
- Import from Other Plugins: Seamlessly migrate your redirects from other popular plugins, minimizing downtime and preserving your site’s structure.
- Export for Server-Level Redirects: For high-traffic sites, export your redirects to .htaccess or Nginx files for maximum performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Redirection really free?
Yes, Redirection is completely free to use. There are no premium versions or hidden fees. All features are available to every user.
Will Redirection slow down my site?
No, Redirection is optimized for performance and can handle thousands of redirects without impacting your site’s speed.
Can I use Redirection on multisite installations?
Yes, Redirection fully supports WordPress multisite networks, allowing you to manage redirects for each site individually.
Does Redirection support regular expressions?
Absolutely. You can use regex to create powerful and flexible redirect rules.
Can I track which redirects are being used?
Yes, the plugin provides detailed logging and hit counts for every redirect.
Community and Support
Redirection is actively maintained and supported by a dedicated developer and a large user community. If you need help, you can access comprehensive documentation, community forums, and direct support from the plugin’s website:
You can also contribute to the plugin’s development on GitHub, report issues, or suggest new features.
Conclusion
Redirection is an essential tool for any WordPress site owner who wants to maintain a healthy, user-friendly, and SEO-optimized website. Its combination of ease of use, powerful features, and zero cost makes it the go-to solution for managing redirects, fixing 404 errors, and ensuring a seamless experience for both users and search engines. Whether you’re running a small blog or a large enterprise site, Redirection has the tools you need to keep your site running smoothly.
Create, manage, and monitor 301 redirects with ease—no server knowledge required!
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