When do you need a 301 redirect?
- A page’s address changes, for example /services.html becomes /services/
- Two pages merge into one
- The site moves to a new domain
- The site moves from http to https, or from www to the bare domain
How is a 301 different from a 302?
| Code | Means | What search engines do |
|---|---|---|
| 301 | Moved permanently | Move the listing to the new address |
| 302 | Moved for now | Usually keep the old address listed |
| 404 | Not found | Drop the page in time |
What goes wrong with redirects?
- Chains: A redirects to B, which redirects to C. Point A straight at C.
- Loops: two addresses redirect to each other, and the page never loads.
- Sending every old page to the home page. Map each one to its closest match.
- Removing redirects too soon. Google’s site-move guidance says to keep them for at least a year.
How do I make a redirect list for a move?
- List every address on the old site, from its sitemap plus any page that gets visits or links.
- Match each one to its closest page on the new site.
- Add the pairs to the new site’s redirect table before the switch.
- After the switch, open a sample of old addresses and check each one lands right.
How does reddysite handle redirects?
When reddysite rebuilds an existing site, every old address is mapped to its new one with a 301. The redirect table lives in your dashboard, so a link nobody knew about can be added later, and the table refuses chains and redirects that point to themselves. Moving off WordPress walks through a full move, how reddysite builds for search and AI covers the other technical basics, and what technical SEO is puts redirects in context.