Since the release of the first version in May 2003, WordPress has remained a preferred CMS for developers and entrepreneurs alike.

As per the Wappalyzer survey, WordPress dominates the CMS usage with a whopping 76.4% market share.

If you have a WordPress website for your business and you want to redirect the WordPress page to another URL using plugins, here is a handy guide with all necessary information.

Let’s start with what is redirect in WordPress and why you should redirect pages.

What is Redirect & 301 Redirect in WordPress?

A redirect is a way or command for your website to send a quick message to the visitor’s browser and let them know that the page they want to visit has been moved. After getting this message, browsers can take visitors to the new page, which is already fixed by you.

Depending on the redirection, we have different redirect types like 301 redirects, 302 redirects, and 307 redirects. However, the most simple and useful is a 301 redirect, and therefore, we will discuss only 301 redirects in this article.

What is the need for a 301 redirect in WordPress?

The main reason to use 301 redirects is to point the user or visitor of your website to a new page instead of the page they are searching for. The 301 redirect is useful when the page on your website has been moved. Here are other use cases for 301 redirects.

• When do you want to delete a post or page for new content?
• When do you want to change the permalinks of your post or webpage?

Do you know that if you do not create a redirect, it will show the visitors a 404- ‘Page Not Found’ error? This error not only creates a bad impression on visitors but also impacts the SEO of your website and decreases its SERP ranking. Therefore, a 301 redirect is important.

The 301 redirect enables you to convey search engines and the visitor’s browsers that that page they are trying to reach has been permanently moved to a different location. As a result, all traffic and backlinks of your old page transfer to the new page.

After looking at the importance of a 301 redirect, let us go through a method to redirect the WordPress page to another URL using plugins.

How to Create Redirects Using Plugins in WordPress?

One of the biggest advantages of the WordPress platform is it enables the users to add the desired functionality using customized plugins. For creating and managing 301 redirects also, we have several WordPress plugins. These plugins facilitate redirects without writing a single line of code.

1. Redirection

This Redirection plugin offers the simplest way to add and manage redirects in WordPress website. All you need to install and activate the plugin. You can visit Tools >> Redirection to establish redirects. Here is a screenshot of what you will see after activating the plugin.

This plugin not only enables users to establish redirects but also helps them find 404 errors on the existing WordPress website. It is easy to redirect those URLs to a proper destination.

Also Read: WordPress Page Won’t Update [How To Fix]

2. Page Links to

At times, you may want to keep a post or page but redirect it to another post. There, a simple Page Links plugin remains handy. It adds a meta box on the post edit screen. Users can enter the address of the new location where they want to take their website visitors in a custom URL. This plugin is very easy and simple for all sorts of WordPress website owners.

3. Trash Duplicate and 301 Redirect

Trash Duplicate and 301 Redirect is a free WordPress plugin with a dual advantage. It can find a duplicate post or pages and delete them. This WordPress plugin also enables you to redirect old posts to the new link through a 301 redirect. If your existing WordPress website is managed by multiple people or your site is based on the user-submitted content, then Trash Duplicate and 301 Redirect plugin is very useful for you.

With this plugin, you can also trash individual posts and delete redirection as and when necessary. It is an easy-to-install, fully responsive, and well-documented plugin with extensive support.

4. Simple 301 Redirects

It is another easy-to-use WordPress plugin. You can simply install the Simple 301 Redirects plugin and activate it. You can simply add URLs by visiting Settings >> 301 Redirects after activating the plugin.

Though redirecting the WordPress page to another URL using plugins is easy, this method has minor setbacks of speed. The WordPress redirects may remain a bit slower by some microseconds due to different WordPress hosting providers.

Alternatively, you can set up 301 redirects with the help of .htaccess.

Let us see how you can do it.

How to set up 301 Redirects using .htaccess

If you want to establish fast 301 redirects in your WordPress website, you can utilize the webserver configuration file .htaccess. However, it is necessary to remember that even a small mistake in the .htaccess code can make the entire WordPress website inaccessible as it starts showing the Internal Server Error. Therefore, it is advisable to back up the .htaccess file before making changes in it.

You need to connect to your website using an FTP client to edit the .htaccess file. You can find this file in the WordPress website’s root directory. If you cannot find it there, you can force your FTP client to show hidden files. It is easy to edit .htaccess file in any text editor like Notepad or Wordpad.

Here we give a simple redirect to send a user from an old post to a new post.

1) RewriteEngine On
2) Redirect 301 /a-very-old-post/ http://yoursite.com/a-very-new-post/

You can add the code at the end of the .htaccess file, and it’s done.

Useful Read: How To Manage WordPress Website? (Especially Helpful Tips)

Concluding Lines

Your WordPress website’s pages can be redirected easily by implementing these techniques and some plugins. I hope this step-by-step guide will help you redirect the WordPress page to another URL. Feel free to share your thoughts about this post in the comment section.

Solwin Infotech is a leading WordPress and Magento web solutions provider. We have developed many customized WordPress themes and plugins to meet the diverse requirements of various industry sectors. Feel free to contact us at info@solwininfotech.com to know more about our services or request a quote for your web project needs.