Implementation of a 301 redirection in your .htaccess file (a text file for configuring aspects of sites hosted on Apache servers) is a useful way to permanently redirect one URL to another in a way that preserves ranking.
Using .htaccess files for implementing 301 redirections allows you to perform complex patterns, such as pattern-based redirections (redirects that automatically match and promote groups of similar URLs using a single rule).
When to use a 301 redirect
Use a 301 -riing every time you need to send users to another page and want to keep your traffic and SEO intact.
Some of the most common scenarios for 301 redirections are when you consolidate duplicate pages into a main side and when migrating from http to https.
Here are some others:
Fixing keyword cannibalization
Implementation of 301 redirections can be a great way to address keyword cannibalization: When multiple pages compete for the same keyword, which can damage your locations.
Alex Meyerhans, CEO of Meyer Digital Media, recommends merging the content on a page and using a 301 redirection to point the old page to the new one when other optimization efforts have not worked:
Sometimes you can fix keyword cannibalization via optimization on the page to de-optimize the page that should not be ranked. And many times it solves keyword cannibalization. But sometimes it will not. Then it’s time to braid the contents from the insulting side to the desired and 301 this page.
Preservation of SEO from outdated sides
Using a 301 -Director to send traffic and search engines from outdated pages with strong backlinks to new pages are useful for maintaining the location of the original pages.
SEO -Specialist Artturi Jalli shares an example:
If you had a ‘Black Friday 2024’ page and now focuses on ‘Black Friday 2025’, a 301 from the old to the new ensuring Link Equity and Continuity.
Improving UX and SEO to tag or category pages
Redirecting standard brand/category pages to curated landing pages can improve SEO and user experience (UX).
Cameron Martel, CEO of Monochrome Marketing and CMO from Futurfund, suggests doing this.
Brands/categories are often shown prominent on the UX site (top of posts, blog feed, etc.), but typically leads to experiences that are suboptimal for ranking. At 301 of these URLs for custom landing pages, we can better control the user experience and improve the internal traffic flow to landing pages.
Deleting a page
If you remove a page from your site, a 301 redirect will send visitors to a related page to help preserve the user experience.
However, if there is no relevant page to redirect visitors to, it may be better to operate a 404 or 410 instead of misleading Google and users.
How to use a Hosting Panel to create a 301 Redirection with a .htaccess file
Two common ways to create 301 redirects are through your hosting panel (as cpanel) or with a file transfer protocol (FTP) client. The latter is more advanced.
We go through with the help of cpanel.
1. Find the file .htaccess
.Htaccess file is usually located in the root directory – the main catalog – of your site.
To get there in CPANEL, you must first click “File Manager. “
Find and open your site’s root directory (often entitled “Public_html”).
Find your .htaccess file, right -click, and select “Edit. “
2. Edit and Save .htAccess file
Redirections work only if the rewrite engine (a function in Apache that allows redirection) is turned on.
Look for the following code near the top of the file. Or add it to your .htaccess file if not already there:
RewriteEngine On
Then write any redirecting rules below “RewriteEngine on” but over “(we go over a few options later). And save .htaccess file to apply your redirections.
How to use a WordPress -Prugin to configure a 301 -om -Director with a .htaccess file
You can access your .htaccess file and configure redirections directly in WordPress using a plugin as long as your site is running on Apache.
We show how to do this using Yoast SEO plugin.
1. Install yoast
Go to your plugins and search for “Yoast.”
Click “Install now“And then”Enable. “
2. Find your .htaccess file
Yoast allows you to access your .htaccess file in your WordPress -Dashboard.
Go to “Yoast SEO“Choose”Tools“And click”Fileditor. “
3. Edit and Save .htAccess file
Make sure rewrite it is enabled and add the following code to your .htaccess file, if not:
RewriteEngine On
Add your redirect rules before the brand. You can add more rules within this code block.
Then click “Save changes to .htaccess“When you’re done.
Ordinary 301 Redirecting Rules
Add these Redirecting Rules to your .htaccess file to implement 301 redirections. Be sure to replace the placeholder’s URLs with your own.
Redirecting a single URL
Add this 301 redirect to your .htaccess file if you need to redirect one page to another.
RewriteRule ^old-page/?$ https://www.yourdomain.com/new-page/ [R=301,L]
Redirecting a single folder
Use this rule when you need to redirect entire sections of your site (such as redirecting “/blog” to “/news”).
RewriteRule ^blog/(.*)$ /news/$1 [R=301,L]
Redirecting WWW to Non-WWW URLs
Redirecting WWW to Non-WWW URLs helps prevent duplicate content issues by ensuring that search engines do not view WWW and non-WWW versions as separate pages of identical content.
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.yourdomain\.com [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*) https://yourdomain.com/$1 [R=301, L]
Redirecting a site to a new domain
Use this .htaccess rule to redirect your entire site to another domain.
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^old-domain\.com$ [OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.old-domain\.com$
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://new-domain.com/$1 [R=301,L]
Redirecting http to https
HTTPS (the encrypted version of HTTP) is a ranking factor and forcing HTTP to HTTPs helps secure your site and improve your SEO.
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://yourdomain.com/$1 [R=301,L]
How to check your 301 redirects and solve problems
Proper 301 Redirections help you avoid redirecting chains and loops, broken links and incorrect types of redirections – which accidentally using a 302 redirection – leading to better SEO and a smoother experience for users.
Use Semrush’s Website Audit Tool to check for redirecting problems. And keep your redirects in work as intended.
Configure Website Audit and Open Your Project.
Click “Question“And search” redirects. ”
See under “Error”, “Warnings” and “Messages” to check if your 301 -riing may be damaging your site. If there is a problem, click the number next to the problem for more information.
Website Auditing also tracks every redirection you have created. So you don’t have to manually trace each one – and risk forgetting some.
Click on the number next to “Redirigations.
You will see a list of pages of redirections.
Double check that each redirected page uses the correct redirect type. Such as a 301 redirection to permanent features instead of a 302 redirection to temporary features.
Stay on top of the site’s problems
Schedule regular revisions to receive warnings when you have technical problems with technical sites. So you can solve problems and keep your SEO strong.
Click the gear icon and select “Schedule:“Option in the roller end.
Choose how often you would like the audit to run. And marked the check box next to “Send an E email every time an audit is completed” if you want E email warnings. Click “Save changes. “
Now you do not need to manually check or track redirects. Website Auditing makes the heavy lift for you.
Try Site Audit today.