How to Create 301 Redirects in WordPress

Are you currently using WordPress on your new website? Have you been noticing broken links or 404 errors? It may be time to create some 301 redirects. To start, “.htaccess” is a configuration file for web servers running Apache Web Server. When a .htaccess file is placed in a directory which is in turn ‘loaded via the Apache Web Server’, then the .htaccess file is detected and executed by the Apache Web Server. For SEO, a .htaccess file something you are going to have to get used to. From editing to even creating. Although, many easy backends, like WordPress, help more than you think with SEO. Plug-ins like ‘Yoast SEO’ can help you access files such as ‘Robots.txt’ or ‘.htaccess’.

The main reason to edit a .htaccess file is for 301 redirects. A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect which passes ‘link juice’ (ranking power) to the new redirected page. You’re going to need to do this if you are seeing broken links via Webmaster tools or noticeable on the front-end. As an SEO, redirects are your bread and butter. Whenever you change a URL, it needs to be redirected to the new URL. Here’s a plugin I personally use to create 301 Redirects in WordPress.

WordPress plugins to Use

If you’re using WordPress, you going to want to use a WordPress plugin for redirects. Not only is it easier to create, but it’s also easier to manage. The best redirect plugin that I’m currently using is ‘Quick Page/Post Redirect Plugin’. It allows you to easily and quickly create redirects to any of your broken links.

Having used this plug-in for a while, sometimes it doesn’t work. (usually based on the host of the website). When these don’t work, I have to go and create the redirect via .htaccess file.

Create via .htaccess

Sometimes redirects may not work properly with some WordPress plug-ins. If you find yourself in this position, you’re going to want to create the redirects manually in the .htaccess file.

There two ways to access the .htaccess file on a WordPress website.

FTP login

FTP login is the best way to approach this if you have access to that information.

Yoast SEO plug-in

The is the easier way to access the .htaccess file in the WordPress backend. This a method used when you don’t have login information to the FTP provided by the host of your website.

Create a site-wide redirect via .htaccess

If you’re having an issue where you need to redirect a whole site to another site, you can do that in the .htaccess file as well. For example, if you need to redirect www.something.com to www.somewhere.com, it is possible if the site files are in the same root folder of the website.

Alright, so there you have it. These are the best ways to redirect WordPress websites. If you have any questions or concerns, go ahead and leave a comment below. Be sure to browse our site for more helpful web tutorials from Extima Web Development.