Whenever you move content, change domain names, or simply tweak a page\u2019s URL, you\u2019ll likely use a redirect. This ensures your users (and Google) get to the right page, and it preserves the SEO value from your backlinks.<\/p>\n
You can use .htaccess redirects specifically to do this.<\/p>\n
But I get that messing with your site\u2019s server files can sound daunting.<\/p>\n
So the goal of this guide is to make .htaccess redirects as accessible as possible.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the plan:<\/p>\n
- \n
- We\u2019ll start with a walkthrough to find your .htaccess file and get ready to make changes (feel free to skip this part if you have it ready to go)<\/li>\n
- We\u2019ll then go through the most common .htaccess redirect use cases in detail<\/li>\n
- Then we\u2019ll go through a cheat sheet of the symbols and flags you can use to build custom .htaccess rules<\/li>\n
- Finally, we\u2019ll show you how to make sure everything is working properly and how to pinpoint issues<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Sound good? Let\u2019s go.<\/p>\n
How to Set Up .htaccess Redirects<\/h2>\n
Before you can create redirects<\/a>, you need to access your .htaccess file. This file lives on your server and controls various aspects of how your website behaves.<\/p>\n
It looks something like this (for a WordPress site in particular):<\/p>\n
![\"htaccess](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/htacces-file-example.png\" "\\"htaccess")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\nThere are two main ways to access and edit your .htaccess file:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Through your hosting provider\u2019s control panel<\/li>\n
- Via an FTP client<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
I\u2019d personally recommend the first option if you\u2019re an absolute beginner. Or if you just want to keep the technical stuff to a minimum.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not to say that using an FTP client is difficult (or that every hosting platform is a piece of cake to navigate). But generally, your file manager is going to be a bit more intuitive.<\/p>\n
Editing .htaccess Through Your Hosting Control Panel<\/h3>\n
Most major hosting providers offer a file manager in their control panel that lets you edit files directly.<\/p>\n
The general workflow looks something like this, although some of the specifics might vary between hosts:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Log in to your hosting account<\/li>\n
- Find the File Manager (usually in cPanel or a similar dashboard)<\/li>\n
- Navigate to your website\u2019s root directory (often called public_html)<\/li>\n
- Find the .htaccess file<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Once you find it, you can usually right-click and select \u201cEdit\u201d to make changes.<\/p>\n
As an example, here\u2019s how the interface looks in the cPanel platform. First, I navigate to my domain\u2019s website dashboard and find the file manager:<\/p>\n
![\"cPanel](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/07\/cpanel-file-manager.png\" "\\"cPanel")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\nAnd in there I can see public_html:<\/p>\n
![\"cPanel](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/07\/cpanel-file-manager-files.png\" "\\"cPanel")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\nI then click my .htaccess file:<\/p>\n
![\"File](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/03\/file-manager-htaccess.png\" "\\"File")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\nSimple.<\/p>\n
Via FTP<\/h3>\n
You can also use an FTP client like FileZilla<\/a>, Cyberduck<\/a>, or WinSCP<\/a>. These give you similar access, but you can do it directly rather than through your hosting provider.<\/p>\n
To get started, download and install an FTP client. We\u2019ll go with Cyberduck for the example below.<\/p>\n
Then connect to your server using your FTP credentials (your host can provide these \u2014 mine were under Files > FTP Accounts<\/strong>):<\/p>\n
![\"FTP](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ftp-protocol-popup.png\" "\\"FTP")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\nThen, within the FTP client, navigate to your site\u2019s root directory.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s probably named public_html, which may open automatically. Then, find and download your .htaccess file:<\/p>\n
![\"FTP](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ftp-file-manager.png\" "\\"FTP")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\nMake your changes in a text editor, and then upload the modified file back to the server. You might be able to skip the download\/upload step and make edits directly, depending on the tool you use:<\/p>\n
![\"FTP](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ftp-protocol-edit-with.png\" "\\"FTP")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\nWhat About WordPress?<\/h3>\n
If you\u2019re running a WordPress site, you usually don\u2019t need to edit your .htaccess file to set up redirects.<\/p>\n
Instead, you can use dedicated redirect plugins like Redirection<\/a> or 301 Redirects<\/a>.<\/p>\n
![\"301](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/03\/301-redirects-redirect-rules.png\" "\\"301")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\nThese plugins are perfect if you\u2019re not comfortable editing server files or if you just need to set up a couple of redirects quickly. But they won\u2019t help you much for more complex redirections or when you\u2019re performing a full site migration.<\/p>\n
Other SEO plugins, like Rank Math<\/a>, offer redirect managers alongside options to edit your .htaccess file within the WordPress dashboard:<\/p>\n
![\"Rank](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rank-math-htaccess-1.png\" "\\"Rank")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\nAdding redirects directly to your .htaccess file (or indirectly via a plugin like Rank Math) often results in faster performance since it cuts out the middleman (the plugin). And once you know how to do it, it\u2019s not all that technical anyway.<\/p>\n
(It won\u2019t always be the best option from a performance perspective. But generally it\u2019s going to be faster.)<\/p>\n
Other platforms like Shopify and Wix don\u2019t give you direct access to .htaccess files. In these cases, you\u2019ll need to use the platform\u2019s built-in redirect tools instead.<\/p>\n
The same may be true for WordPress site owners if your site runs on WordPress.com<\/strong>, rather than external hosting with a WordPress.org<\/strong> installation.<\/p>\n
Before You Begin: Important Prerequisites<\/h3>\n
Before you start making changes to your .htaccess file, bear the following in mind:<\/p>\n
- \n
- You need to have an .htaccess file:<\/strong> If you don\u2019t already have an .htaccess file, you can create one in your public_html folder (WordPress will often create one for you automatically).<\/li>\n
- It\u2019s easy to make mistakes:<\/strong> Making changes to your .htaccess file without knowing what you\u2019re doing can have major consequences for your site. Ideally consult with your developer before implementing .htaccess redirects, and make any major changes on a staging site if possible to make sure they work properly.<\/li>\n
- The rules below are just guides:<\/strong> I\u2019ve included lots of examples of redirect rules below with explanations of what they do. But you may need to modify them to ensure they work properly on your site.<\/li>\n
- Enable mod_rewrite:<\/strong> Most modern hosting environments will enable the mod_rewrite module by default (which you want, and therefore likely don\u2019t need to worry about). If your redirects aren\u2019t working, reach out to your hosting provider to see if this is the problem.<\/li>\n
- Enable Options + FollowSymLinks:<\/strong> You may or may not need to enable this in your .htaccess file (usually you won\u2019t need to worry about it). Again, reach out to your host if you\u2019re not sure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Now that you know how to actually get into and edit your .htaccess file, let\u2019s look at how to create different types of redirects.<\/p>\n
How to Redirect a Single URL<\/h2>\n
Redirecting a single URL to another is probably the most common redirect you\u2019ll create. It\u2019s perfect for when you\u2019ve:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Changed a page\u2019s URL structure<\/li>\n
- Merged two pages into one<\/li>\n
- Moved specific content to a new location<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Merging](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/07\/merging-two-urls.png\" "\\"Merging")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\nThis type of redirect is straightforward and requires just one line of code in your .htaccess file.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the code you\u2019ll need to add to your .htaccess file (swapping out the URL path and domain for your own):<\/p>\n
Redirect 301 \/old-page https:\/\/yoursite.com\/new-page<\/pre>\n
Let\u2019s break down what this means:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Redirect:<\/strong> Tells the server you want to create a redirect<\/li>\n
- 301:<\/strong> Specifies a permanent redirect (more on this below)<\/li>\n
- \/old-page:<\/strong> The path of the original page (relative to your root directory)<\/li>\n
- https:\/\/yoursite.com\/new-page:<\/strong> The full URL of the destination page<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Single URL Redirect Example<\/h3>\n
Let\u2019s say you have a page about dog training at:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/yourpetsite.com\/5-great-tips-for-training-dogs\/<\/pre>\n
And you\u2019ve moved it to:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/yourpetsite.com\/dog-training-tips\/<\/pre>\n
Your redirect code would look like this:<\/p>\n
Redirect 301 \/5-great-tips-for-training-dogs\/ https:\/\/yourpetsite.com\/dog-training-tips\/<\/pre>\n
Permanent vs. Temporary Redirects<\/h3>\n
The 301 in our example above indicates a permanent redirect. This tells search engines to update their index with the new URL and transfer the SEO value from the old page to the new one.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re only redirecting temporarily (like for maintenance or a seasonal promotion), use 302 instead:<\/p>\n
Redirect 302 \/sale https:\/\/yoursite.com\/spring-sale<\/pre>\n
If you\u2019re trying to preserve SEO rankings (and your website\u2019s authority<\/a>), always use 301 redirects for permanent URL changes<\/strong>. Search engines treat 301s as permanent and 302s as temporary, which affects how they transfer link equity.<\/p>\n
![\"301](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/301-redirect.png\" "\\"301")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\nHow to Redirect a Subfolder<\/h2>\n
Sometimes you need to redirect an entire section of your website rather than just a single page. This is common when you are:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Reorganizing your site structure<\/a><\/li>\n
- Moving a blog or product category to a new location<\/li>\n
- Consolidating content from multiple sections<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Redirecting a subfolder automatically handles all pages within that folder. So you don\u2019t need to set up individual redirect rules for each one.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the code to add to your .htaccess file:<\/p>\n
RewriteEngine On \n \nRewriteRule ^old-folder\/(.*)$ \/new-folder\/$1 [R=301,L]<\/pre>\n
Let\u2019s break down the key parts:<\/p>\n
- \n
- RewriteEngine On:<\/strong> Activates Apache\u2019s rewrite module (required for this type of redirect*)<\/li>\n
- ^old-folder\/:<\/strong> Matches the beginning of URLs that start with your old folder<\/li>\n
- (.*)$:<\/strong> Captures everything after the folder name<\/li>\n
- \/new-folder\/$1:<\/strong> Sends visitors to the new folder, maintaining the rest of the URL path<\/li>\n
- [R=301,L]:<\/strong> Specifies a permanent redirect and tells the server to stop processing rules after this match<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Subfolder Redirect Example<\/h3>\n
Let\u2019s say you have a blog at:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/yoursite.com\/blog\/post-name<\/pre>\n
And you want to move it to:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/yoursite.com\/articles\/post-name<\/pre>\n
Your redirect code would look like this:<\/p>\n
RewriteEngine On \nRewriteRule ^blog\/(.*)$ \/articles\/$1 [R=301,L ]<\/pre>\n
This will redirect:<\/p>\n
- \n
- \/blog\/first-post to \/articles\/first-post<\/li>\n
- \/blog\/category\/tech to \/articles\/category\/tech<\/li>\n
- Any other path that starts with \/blog\/ to the relevant \/articles\/ path<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Important: Order Matters<\/h3>\n
The order of your .htaccess rules matters. This isn\u2019t going to be an issue if you\u2019re just redirecting a single URL.<\/p>\n
But if you want to redirect some parts of a subfolder to one place and others elsewhere, you need to be careful.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s look at an example to make this clearer:<\/p>\n
Imagine you have a blog subfolder with a special \/featured\/<\/strong> section. You want to redirect your \/blog\/<\/strong> content to an \/articles\/<\/strong> subfolder, but the featured posts should go to \/featured-content\/<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the WRONG<\/strong> order:<\/p>\n
RewriteEngine On \nRewriteRule ^blog\/(.*)$ \/articles\/$1 [R=301,L] \nRewriteRule ^blog\/featured\/(.*)$ \/featured-content\/$1 [R=301,L]<\/pre>\n
Why is this incorrect?<\/p>\n
Because any time a user (or Google) requests a URL on your site (say, your site.com\/blog\/featured\/your-post\/), Apache first checks if it matches the \/blog\/ structure.<\/p>\n
In this case, it does. So it would redirect:<\/p>\n
yoursite.com\/blog\/featured\/your-post\/<\/pre>\n
To:<\/p>\n
yoursite.com\/articles\/your-post\/<\/pre>\n
The URL no longer matches the \/blog\/featured\/ structure, so the second rule would never apply to it. Meaning all your featured posts would just redirect to the new \/articles\/ subfolder.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the correct order:<\/p>\n
RewriteEngine On \nRewriteRule ^blog\/featured\/(.*)$ \/featured-content\/$1 [R=301,L] \nRewriteRule ^blog\/(.*)$ \/articles\/$1 [R=301,L]<\/pre>\n
This first checks for the \/blog\/featured\/ structure and redirects it to the new \/featured-content\/. So your post at:<\/p>\n
yoursite.com\/blog\/featured\/your-post\/<\/pre>\n
Would redirect to:<\/p>\n
yoursite.com\/featured-content\/your-post\/<\/pre>\n
And then in this case it no longer matches the \/blog\/ structure, so the second rule wouldn\u2019t apply. Which is what we want.<\/p>\n
For any non-featured blog URLs, like yoursite.com\/blog\/post-2\/<\/strong>, they\u2019d redirect per the second rule to yoursite.com\/articles\/post-2\/<\/strong> (because the first rule wouldn\u2019t apply to them without the \/featured\/ part of the URL).<\/p>\n
Redirecting a Subfolder to a Different Domain<\/h3>\n
Before I show you how to redirect your entire site to a new domain, it\u2019s worth noting that you can also redirect a subfolder to a completely different domain. This is useful if you\u2019ve moved a section of your site to a new website.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the rule to use:<\/p>\n
RewriteEngine On \nRewriteRule ^old-folder\/(.*)$ https:\/\/newdomain.com\/folder\/$1 [R=301,L]<\/pre>\n
For example, you could use this if you moved your support section to a dedicated support site:<\/p>\n
RewriteEngine On \nRewriteRule ^support\/(.*)$ https:\/\/support.yourcompany.com\/$1 [R=301,L]<\/pre>\n
How to Redirect to a New Domain<\/h2>\n
Moving to a new domain is a big step. Whether you\u2019re rebranding, switching from a .org to a .com domain, or consolidating multiple websites, you need to make sure your visitors (and search engines) can find your new site.<\/p>\n
A domain-wide redirect ensures anyone visiting your old domain automatically lands on your new one. This preserves both the user experience and authority you\u2019ve built up through backlinks<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the code to add to your .htaccess file on your old domain:<\/p>\n
RewriteEngine On \nRewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^(www.)?olddomain.com$ [NC] \nRewriteRule ^(.*)$ https:\/\/newdomain.com\/$1 [L,R=301]<\/pre>\nLet\u2019s break down what this does:<\/p>\n
- \n
- RewriteEngine On:<\/strong> Activates the rewrite module<\/li>\n
- RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^(www.)?olddomain.com$ [NC]<\/strong>: Checks if someone is trying to access your old domain, where:\n
- \n
- ^(www.)?:<\/strong> Matches both www and non-www versions of your site<\/li>\n
- [NC]:<\/strong> Makes the match not case-sensitive (so OLDDOMAIN.com would also match)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https:\/\/newdomain.com\/$1 [L,R=301]<\/strong>: Sets up a permanent redirect to the new domain, where:\n
- \n
- ^(.*)$:<\/strong> Captures the entire URL path after the domain<\/li>\n
- https:\/\/newdomain.com\/$1:<\/strong> Redirects to the same path on your new domain<\/li>\n
- [L,R=301]:<\/strong> Makes it a permanent redirect and stops processing other rules for that request<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Domain Redirect Example<\/h3>\n
Let\u2019s say you\u2019re changing from:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/pettraining.com\/dog-care\/grooming<\/pre>\n
To:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/pawacademy.com\/dog-care\/grooming<\/pre>\n
The redirect will automatically maintain the same path structure. This means visitors to any page on your old domain will land on the corresponding page on your new domain. (You\u2019ll obviously need to have corresponding URLs on the new domain.)<\/p>\n
Domain migrations require careful planning. But when you do it properly, they can transfer most of your SEO value and ensure your audience can find your new online home. For more on how to do it right, check out our website migration checklist<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Redirect www to Non-www (or Vice Versa) on New Domain<\/h3>\n
If you\u2019re also changing from www to non-www (or vice versa) during your domain migration, you can combine these redirects:<\/p>\n
RewriteEngine On \n \n# First redirect old domain to new domain \nRewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^(www.)?olddomain.com$ [NC] \nRewriteRule ^(.*)$ https:\/\/newdomain.com\/$1 [L,R=301] \n \n# Then handle www to non-www on new domain \nRewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www.newdomain.com$ [NC] \nRewriteRule ^(.*)$ https:\/\/newdomain.com\/$1 [L,R=301]<\/pre>\nHow to Redirect HTTP to HTTPS<\/h2>\n
Redirecting from HTTP to HTTPS isn\u2019t just a good practice \u2014 it\u2019s practically mandatory. HTTPS encrypts the connection between your visitors and your website. This protects sensitive information, while also being a light Google ranking factor.<\/p>\n
(I\u2019m not suggesting you redirect to HTTPS for a ranking boost. It really is just the default best practice nowadays more than anything else.)<\/p>\n
![\"HTTP](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/07\/http-redirect.png\" "\\"HTTP")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\nIf you\u2019ve installed an SSL certificate but visitors can still access your site through unencrypted HTTP, you\u2019ll want to set up a redirect to ensure everyone gets the secure version.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the code to add to your .htaccess file:<\/p>\n
RewriteEngine On \nRewriteCond %{HTTPS} off \nRewriteRule ^(.*)$ https:\/\/%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301] \n<\/pre>\nThis is what each part does:<\/p>\n
- \n
- RewriteEngine On:<\/strong> Activates the rewrite module<\/li>\n
- RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off:<\/strong> Checks if the connection is currently not using HTTPS<\/li>\n
- ^(.*)$:<\/strong> captures the entire URL path<\/li>\n
- https:\/\/%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI}:<\/strong> Redirects to the same URL but with https:\/\/ instead of http:\/\/<\/li>\n
- [L,R=301]:<\/strong> Makes it a permanent redirect and stops processing other rules<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
This redirect will change:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/yourwebsite.com\/products\/item<\/pre>\n
To:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/yourwebsite.com\/products\/item<\/pre>\n
- RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off:<\/strong> Checks if the connection is currently not using HTTPS<\/li>\n
- https:\/\/newdomain.com\/$1:<\/strong> Redirects to the same path on your new domain<\/li>\n
- [NC]:<\/strong> Makes the match not case-sensitive (so OLDDOMAIN.com would also match)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^(www.)?olddomain.com$ [NC]<\/strong>: Checks if someone is trying to access your old domain, where:\n
- RewriteEngine On:<\/strong> Activates the rewrite module<\/li>\n
- ^old-folder\/:<\/strong> Matches the beginning of URLs that start with your old folder<\/li>\n
- 301:<\/strong> Specifies a permanent redirect (more on this below)<\/li>\n
- Redirect:<\/strong> Tells the server you want to create a redirect<\/li>\n
- It\u2019s easy to make mistakes:<\/strong> Making changes to your .htaccess file without knowing what you\u2019re doing can have major consequences for your site. Ideally consult with your developer before implementing .htaccess redirects, and make any major changes on a staging site if possible to make sure they work properly.<\/li>\n
- You need to have an .htaccess file:<\/strong> If you don\u2019t already have an .htaccess file, you can create one in your public_html folder (WordPress will often create one for you automatically).<\/li>\n
![\"htaccess](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/htacces-file-example.webp "\\"htaccess")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n![\"cPanel](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/07\/cpanel-file-manager.webp "\\"cPanel")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n![\"cPanel](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/07\/cpanel-file-manager-files.webp "\\"cPanel")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n![\"File](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/03\/file-manager-htaccess.webp "\\"File")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n![\"FTP](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ftp-protocol-popup.webp "\\"FTP")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n![\"FTP](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ftp-file-manager.webp "\\"FTP")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n![\"FTP](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ftp-protocol-edit-with.webp "\\"FTP")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n![\"301](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/03\/301-redirects-redirect-rules.webp "\\"301")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n![\"Rank](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rank-math-htaccess-1.webp "\\"Rank"){kind=icon}
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n![\"Merging](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/07\/merging-two-urls.webp "\\"Merging")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n![\"301](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/301-redirect.webp "\\"301")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n![\"HTTP](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/07\/http-redirect.webp "\\"HTTP")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n