Redirects

The Redirects page in WPShift allows you to set up URL redirects for your WordPress site, helping manage traffic effectively and improve user experience. Redirects are useful for guiding visitors from old URLs to new ones, preventing broken links, and ensuring SEO continuity when your site’s structure changes.

1. Adding a new redirect

To create a new redirect:

  1. Origin: Enter the original URL path that visitors are trying to access. This is the URL you want to redirect from.

  2. Destination: Enter the target URL path where you want visitors to be redirected. This is the URL you want to redirect to.

  3. Status code: Select the appropriate HTTP status code for the redirect:

    • 301 (Permanent Redirect): Use this when the original URL has permanently moved to a new location. This is the recommended option for SEO purposes.
    • 302 (Temporary Redirect): Use this when the redirect is temporary, such as during site maintenance or testing.

  4. Click Add redirect to save the new redirect.

2. Managing existing redirects

Once added, all redirects will appear in a list on the Redirects page. For each redirect, you can:

  • Edit: Modify the origin, destination, or status code.
  • Delete: Remove the redirect if it is no longer needed.

These options make it easy to keep your redirects up to date, helping visitors reach the correct pages on your site.

Best practices for redirects

  • Use 301 redirects for permanent changes, such as restructuring your website or changing page URLs. This helps search engines update their index and preserves SEO value.
  • Use 302 redirects sparingly, as they are temporary and may not pass SEO value to the destination page.
  • Monitor redirects to ensure they don’t lead to loops or broken links, which can harm user experience and SEO performance.

The Redirects feature in WPShift is designed to give you full control over your site’s URL structure, helping you manage traffic effectively and optimize your WordPress site’s SEO and usability.