Free SEO Tool
Redirect Rule Generator
Paste your old and new URL paths, choose your server platform, and instantly generate production-ready redirect rules. Supports Nginx, Apache, Next.js, Cloudflare Pages and Vercel.
No sign-up required. Your data never leaves the browser.
Best Practices
How to use redirects effectively
Redirects are critical during site migrations, URL restructures and domain changes. Getting them wrong can cost you years of organic rankings overnight.
301 vs 302: choosing the right type
A 301 (permanent) redirect tells search engines the old URL has moved permanently. Link equity is passed to the new URL. Use this for site migrations, URL restructures and domain changes.
A 302 (temporary) redirect signals the move is short-term. Search engines keep the old URL indexed. Use this for A/B tests, seasonal pages or maintenance periods.
Avoid redirect chains
Redirect chains occur when URL A redirects to URL B, which then redirects to URL C. Each hop adds latency, dilutes link equity and increases the risk of Google dropping the page from its index.
- Always redirect directly from the old URL to the final destination
- Audit existing redirects before adding new ones
- Keep chains to a maximum of one hop wherever possible
Test before going live
Faulty redirects can take a site offline or create infinite loops. Always validate your rules in a staging environment before deploying to production.
- Verify each redirect returns the correct status code
- Check for loops by following the redirect chain end-to-end
- Use tools such as curl or browser DevTools to inspect response headers
Monitor after deployment
Redirects are not set-and-forget. Post-launch monitoring is essential to catch issues early and protect your traffic.
- Track crawl errors in Google Search Console for at least four weeks
- Compare organic traffic before and after the migration
- Update internal links to point to the new URLs directly
Planning a site migration?
Redirects are just one piece of the puzzle. Our migration SEO specialists handle the entire process – from pre-migration audits and URL mapping to post-launch monitoring – so you can move platforms without losing rankings.