Redirects send anyone visiting one URL automatically to another. They’re essential when you move a page, restructure a site, or want one domain to point at another — and done right, they preserve your SEO. cPanel’s Redirects tool makes setting them up simple. Here’s how.
Permanent vs temporary redirects
There are two main types, and the difference matters for SEO:
- 301 (Permanent): tells browsers and search engines the content has moved for good. This passes the old page’s ranking value to the new one. Use this for almost everything.
- 302 (Temporary): signals a temporary move and doesn’t pass ranking value. Use it only when you genuinely intend to restore the original later.
For a page or domain that’s moved permanently, always choose 301 to keep your SEO intact.
Creating a redirect
- In cPanel, open Redirects under the Domains section.
- Choose the type: Permanent (301) for most cases.
- Select the domain and enter the path you’re redirecting from.
- Enter the full destination URL you’re redirecting to.
- Choose whether the www version should also redirect, and whether to do a wild card redirect (useful for pointing an entire domain at another).
- Click Add.
Redirecting a whole domain
To send an entire old domain to a new one, use a wild card redirect. This maps every path on the old domain to the matching path on the new one, so olddomain.com/about lands on newdomain.com/about. It’s the right tool after a rebrand or domain change, and combined with 301 it preserves your rankings.
Redirects vs .htaccess rules
cPanel’s Redirects tool actually writes rules into your .htaccess file behind the scenes. For simple redirects the tool is easiest. For more complex needs — forcing HTTPS, redirecting based on patterns — you may edit .htaccess directly. Both approaches coexist, but avoid contradictory rules that can create redirect loops.
Test after setting up
Once added, type the old URL into your browser and confirm it lands on the new one. Check that the path carried across correctly, especially for wild card redirects. A quick test now prevents broken links later.
Keep old redirects for the long term
If you’ve moved content, leave the redirects in place indefinitely — old links on other sites, in emails and in search results keep sending people to them for years. Removing a redirect too soon means those visitors hit a 404. If you’d like help planning a set of redirects after a site restructure, we’re glad to assist.
