A domain redirect is a strategic method used to seamlessly forward users and search engines from one domain or URL to another. This technique is essential during website migrations, brand transitions, or URL structure updates, ensuring that traffic, SEO rankings, and user experience remain uninterrupted.
At AvaHost, domain redirection is handled with precision and flexibility, whether you’re consolidating multiple domains, launching a new brand identity, or restructuring your site. Our platform supports both temporary (302) and permanent (301) redirects, enabling you to preserve link equity and maintain consistent access for visitors — all with minimal configuration through our intuitive control panel.
A 301 redirect permanently redirects one URL to another and passes nearly all SEO value to the new URL.
Use Cases:
Example (Apache .htaccess file):
Redirect 301 /old-page.html https://example.com/new-page.html
A 302 redirect temporarily directs users to a new URL without passing SEO value permanently.
Use Cases:
Example (Nginx configuration):
rewrite ^/old-page$ https://example.com/new-page temporary;
A meta refresh redirect is executed at the page level instead of the server level.
Use Cases:
Example (HTML meta tag):
<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; url=https://example.com/new-page">
(This redirects after 5 seconds.)
JavaScript-based redirects occur client-side and require JavaScript to be enabled in the browser.
Use Cases:
Example:
window.location.href = "https://example.com/new-page";
Edit the .htaccess file in the root directory:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^old-page$ /new-page [R=301,L]
Edit the Nginx configuration file:
server {
listen 80;
server_name olddomain.com;
return 301 https://newdomain.com$request_uri;
}
Restart Nginx to apply the changes:
sudo systemctl restart nginx
Domain redirects are essential for managing website migrations, consolidations, and improving user experience. Whether using 301, 302, or JavaScript-based redirects, implementing them correctly ensures seamless navigation for users and search engines.