Redirection is one of the most important tasks you need to perform on your website. Whether you’re changing the URL of a page or transferring SEO value from one page to another, redirection is essential. In this guide, we’ll cover several methods for WordPress Redirection and introduce you to some of the best plugins for managing redirects in WordPress.
How to Redirect Without Plugins in WordPress?
If you want to implement a redirection without using a plugin, you can manually add redirects via your website’s .htaccess
file or modify the functions file in your theme. This method is especially useful for simple redirect but may require some technical knowledge. Here’s how you can do it:
- Using .htaccess File:
- Access the
.htaccess
file in your website’s root directory through FTP or a file manager in cPanel. - Add the following code for a basic 301 redirection:
-
Redirect 301 /old-page-url/ https://www.yoursite.com/new-page-url/
- Save the file, and the redirection will be active.
- Access the
- Using the functions.php File:
- Go to your WordPress theme folder and find the
functions.php
file. - Add this code to redirect a specific URL:
function custom_redirect() { if (is_page('old-page')) { wp_redirect('https://www.yoursite.com/new-page', 301); exit; } } add_action('template_redirect', 'custom_redirect');
- This will redirect the “old-page” to “new-page” whenever someone visits the old URL.
- Go to your WordPress theme folder and find the
Though these methods are effective, they are more technical and require a basic understanding of code.
How do you handle WordPress Redirection with plugins?
If you prefer an easier and more user-friendly method, several WordPress plugins make it simple to manage redirects without dealing with code. Here are four of the best plugins for redirecting pages in WordPress:
1. Redirection Plugin
Redirection Plugin is one of the most popular and widely used plugins for handling redirects. This plugin provides a simple and intuitive interface that allows you to create and manage redirections without touching any code.
Features:
- Easily create and manage 301 and 302 redirects.
- Track 404 errors and redirect broken links.
- Supports regular expressions for advanced redirect management.
- Monitor redirects and view detailed logs.
The plugin is perfect for both beginners and advanced users and is particularly useful for SEO purposes, ensuring that visitors and search engines are directed to the right pages.
2. Yoast SEO Plugin
Yoast SEO is a comprehensive SEO plugin for WordPress that also includes an easy-to-use redirect feature. With Yoast, you can set up 301 redirects directly from the post or page editor without needing any additional plugins.
How to use:
- Once you have Yoast SEO installed, go to the page or post editor.
- Under the “Yoast SEO” settings, you’ll find a section called “Redirects.”
- Here, you can add a 301 or 302 redirect from the old URL to the new one, making it seamless to update your site structure without losing SEO value.
This plugin is an excellent option for those who already use Yoast SEO for their website optimization.
3. Rank Math Plugin
Rank Math is another SEO plugin that offers redirection management as one of its many features. Rank Math’s redirection module allows you to easily create and manage redirects from within the WordPress dashboard.
How to use:
- First, install the Rank Math plugin and enable the “Redirections” module from the Rank Math dashboard.
- Once enabled, you can create a new redirect by going to the Redirections section and choosing the source and destination URLs.
- Rank Math also supports various redirection types (301, 302, 307) and even allows you to track 404 errors.
Rank Math is a great choice for anyone looking to combine SEO optimization with advanced redirect management in a single plugin.
4. Redirect Redirection Plugin
Redirect Redirection Plugin is another great option for handling redirects in WordPress. It offers a simple, no-fuss solution to manage redirections on your site.
Features:
- Set up 301 redirects easily with a few clicks.
- Includes detailed logs of redirects and 404 errors.
- Supports bulk imports and exports of redirects.
- An easy-to-use interface that even beginners can navigate.
This plugin is especially helpful for websites that need a straightforward way to handle redirections without complex settings or configurations.
WordPress Redirection conclusion
These four plugins provide excellent solutions for handling WordPress Redirection. Depending on your needs—whether you’re looking for something simple or more advanced—these tools will make managing redirects on your website easy and efficient.