It’s easy to get overwhelmed if you’re trying to figure out how to 301 redirect one domain to another. But worry not – understanding the basics isn’t as complicated as you might think. And after you’ve done it a couple of times, you’ll be a pro! In this article, we’re breaking it down into easy steps so that you can get up and running in no time.

Create a 301 Redirect

Creating a 301 redirect is a great way to easily move traffic from one domain to another. The easiest way to do this is to use your hosting control panel’s redirect function. If this isn’t available, you’ll need to create a simple .htaccess file (for Apache servers), and upload it to the root folder of the old domain.

Specify Your Redirect Path

You’ll also need to specify the exact paths for the old domain and the new domain. For example, if you wanted to redirect “www.olddomain.com” to “www.newdomain.com”, you would use the following lines in the redirect guide:

Redirect 301 / http://www.newdomain.com

Check the Redirects

Once you’ve created your redirect, you’ll want to check that the redirects are working correctly. You can do this by entering the old domain (e.g. http://www.olddomain.com) into your web browser, and ensure that the page redirects to the correct new domain (e.g. http://www.newdomain.com).

Test Your 301 Redirects

It’s a good habit to double-check your 301 redirects before you go live. To do this, you’ll need to use a web redirect tool. Many of these web redirect tools are available for free, and they can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your 301 redirects.

Final Thoughts

Figuring out how to 301 redirect one domain to another isn’t something you’d want to try to do on your own. But with the right guidance and a little bit of know-how, it’s actually pretty straightforward! So whatcha waiting for? Now that you know the basics, you’re equipped and ready to go.

FAQ

How to 301 redirect one domain to another?

A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect from one URL to another. It passes between 90-99% of link juice (ranking power) to the redirected page. Setting up 301 redirects correctly is an important aspect for SEO, that ensures traffic and visitors are directed to the correct page. To perform the 301 redirect, an .htaccess file will be utilized to perform the 301 redirect from the old page to the new page.

What are the steps to do 301 redirect from one domain to another?

  1. Determine which page on the old domain needs to be 301 redirected to the new domain URL.
  2. Identify the exact new domain URL.
  3. Edit the .htaccess file.
  4. Upload the revised file to the web server.
  5. Check and review that all redirects are working properly.

What is the HTML code to make a 301 redirect?

The HTML code for a 301 redirect is

<META HTTP-EQUIV="refresh" CONTENT="0; URL=http://www.example.com/">

What happens if a 301 redirect is not set?

If a 301 redirect is not set up for the old URL for however long the domain exists, users and search engines that type in the old URL will be presented with a 404 error page, indicating the page does not exist.

What is the HTTP status code for a 301 redirect?

The HTTP status code for a 301 redirect is 301.

What is the difference between a 301 redirect and a 302 redirect?

A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect, meaning it permanently moves the URL of a page, while a 302 redirect is a temporary redirect, meaning it temporarily moves the URL of a page. When a 301 redirect is used, search engines update their records to the new URL and passing all the ranking data to the new page. When a 302 redirect is used, search engines understand the page to be temporarily moved and retain the ranking of the page.

What is the purpose of a 301 redirect?

A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect from one URL to another. It is used to send both users and search engine bots to a different URL than the one they initially requested. This is commonly used to ensure that users access the correct version of a website, and also to ensure search engine rankings and link equity are maintained when a website’s URLs change.