Free .htaccess Redirect Generator 2026 - Create 301/302 Rules in Seconds

The .htaccess (Hypertext Access) file is a powerful configuration file used by Apache web servers to control website behavior at the directory level. One of its most valuable features is the ability to create URL redirects, which automatically send visitors from one URL to another. Understanding how to properly implement .htaccess redirects is essential for website management, SEO preservation, site migrations, and maintaining a professional web presence.

What is an .htaccess File?

The .htaccess file is a plain text configuration file that resides in your website's directory structure. The leading dot (.) makes it a hidden file on Unix-based systems, which is why many FTP clients require you to enable "Show Hidden Files" to see it. Despite being small and simple in appearance, this file wields significant control over how Apache handles requests for your website.

Apache web server reads .htaccess files from the directory containing the requested file, working its way up through parent directories. This cascading behavior allows you to place .htaccess files in subdirectories to apply specific rules to particular sections of your site while maintaining broader rules in the root directory. Changes to .htaccess files take effect immediately without requiring a server restart, making them ideal for quick configuration updates.

The .htaccess file can control many aspects of your website including URL redirects, URL rewriting, password protection, custom error pages, MIME types, cache control, compression settings, and security configurations. For this guide, we'll focus specifically on redirect functionality, which is among the most commonly used features.

Understanding HTTP Redirect Status Codes

HTTP redirect status codes tell browsers and search engines how to handle the transition from one URL to another. Choosing the correct status code is crucial for both user experience and SEO performance.

301 Permanent Redirect

A 301 redirect indicates that the requested resource has been permanently moved to a new location. This is the most important redirect type for SEO because it transfers approximately 90-99% of link equity (ranking power) from the old URL to the new one. Search engines like Google interpret 301 redirects as a signal to remove the old URL from their index and replace it with the new URL, consolidating all ranking signals.

Use 301 redirects when you've permanently changed a URL structure, moved content to a new location, consolidated duplicate content, or migrated your entire website to a new domain. The permanence of this redirect type tells search engines to update their records accordingly, making it essential for maintaining SEO value during site restructuring.

302 Temporary Redirect

A 302 redirect signals that the requested resource has been temporarily moved to a different location. Unlike 301 redirects, 302 redirects do NOT pass full link equity to the new URL because search engines understand the move is temporary and should continue indexing the original URL. Browsers will redirect users, but search engines won't update their indexes to replace the old URL with the new one.

Use 302 redirects for A/B testing, seasonal promotions, temporary maintenance pages, or when testing new content locations. For example, if you're running a holiday sale and want to temporarily redirect your homepage to a sale landing page, a 302 redirect ensures that search engines continue to index your normal homepage rather than the temporary sale page.

Other Redirect Codes (303, 307, 308)

While less common, other redirect codes exist for specific scenarios. A 303 redirect (See Other) is used after POST requests to redirect to a GET request, preventing form resubmission. A 307 redirect (Temporary Redirect) is similar to 302 but guarantees that the HTTP method won't change during the redirect. A 308 redirect (Permanent Redirect) is the HTTP/1.1 version of 301 that also guarantees method preservation. For most website management tasks, 301 and 302 redirects are sufficient.

How to Create and Edit .htaccess Files

Creating and editing .htaccess files requires careful attention to syntax, as errors can cause your entire website to become inaccessible. Follow these best practices to safely work with .htaccess files.

Accessing Your .htaccess File

To access your .htaccess file, connect to your web hosting account via FTP, SFTP, or your hosting control panel's file manager. Navigate to your website's root directory (often called public_html, www, or htdocs). Enable "Show Hidden Files" in your FTP client or file manager to see files beginning with a dot. If no .htaccess file exists, you can create one by making a new plain text file and naming it ".htaccess" (including the leading dot, with no file extension).

Safety Precautions

ALWAYS backup your existing .htaccess file before making changes. A single syntax error can crash your entire website, making it inaccessible until you fix or restore the file. Download a copy of the current .htaccess file to your computer before editing. Test changes on a staging server or development environment when possible. If you must edit the live file, make one change at a time and test immediately after each modification.

Using Plain Text Editors

Edit .htaccess files using plain text editors like Notepad++ (Windows), TextEdit (Mac), or nano/vim (Linux). Never use word processors like Microsoft Word or Google Docs, as they insert formatting characters that break .htaccess syntax. Many web hosting control panels include built-in text editors that work well for quick edits. Ensure your editor uses Unix-style line endings (LF) rather than Windows-style (CRLF) to prevent parsing issues.

Basic .htaccess Redirect Syntax

Understanding the basic syntax of redirect rules helps you create custom redirects beyond what our generator tool produces automatically.

Simple Redirect Syntax

The basic redirect syntax follows this pattern: Redirect [status] [old-url] [new-url]. For example: Redirect 301 /old-page.html /new-page.html permanently redirects old-page.html to new-page.html. The old URL is relative to your domain root (don't include the domain name), while the new URL can be either relative or absolute (including full domain for external redirects).

Wildcards and Pattern Matching

For more complex scenarios requiring pattern matching or wildcards, you'll need RedirectMatch or mod_rewrite rules. RedirectMatch uses regular expressions: RedirectMatch 301 ^/blog/(.*)$ /articles/$1 redirects everything under /blog/ to /articles/ while preserving the path. The parentheses create a capture group, and $1 represents the captured content.

Advanced Rewrite Rules

Apache's mod_rewrite module provides even more powerful URL manipulation. RewriteRule directives use regular expressions and offer conditional logic: RewriteEngine On, RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^/old-section/, RewriteRule ^old-section/(.*)$ /new-section/$1 [R=301,L]. The [R=301,L] flags specify a 301 redirect and tell Apache this is the Last rule to process if matched.

Common Redirect Scenarios and Solutions

Let's explore practical redirect scenarios you'll encounter in real-world website management, along with the appropriate .htaccess rules for each situation.

Redirecting HTTP to HTTPS

Forcing HTTPS connections is essential for security and SEO. Use this rule to redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS: RewriteEngine On, RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off, RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]. This checks if HTTPS is off and redirects to the HTTPS version of the same URL, preserving the path and query string.

Redirecting www to non-www (or vice versa)

Consolidating your domain variations prevents duplicate content issues. To redirect www to non-www: RewriteEngine On, RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.example\.com$ [NC], RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://example.com/$1 [L,R=301]. Replace example.com with your domain. For non-www to www, swap the domain positions and adjust the condition.

Redirecting Old Domain to New Domain

When moving to a new domain, redirect all pages while preserving URL structure: RewriteEngine On, RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^old-domain\.com$ [NC,OR], RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.old-domain\.com$ [NC], RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://new-domain.com/$1 [L,R=301]. This maintains all paths and page URLs while changing the domain, crucial for preserving SEO rankings.

Redirecting Multiple Pages

When you have many redirects, list them one per line: Redirect 301 /old-page-1.html /new-page-1.html, Redirect 301 /old-page-2.html /new-page-2.html, Redirect 301 /old-page-3.html /new-page-3.html. Keep redirects organized with comments (lines starting with #) to document their purpose. For hundreds of redirects, consider performance implications and potential database-driven solutions.

Redirecting After URL Structure Changes

If you've changed from dated URLs to clean URLs, use pattern matching: RedirectMatch 301 ^/([0-9]{4})/([0-9]{2})/([0-9]{2})/(.*)$ /$4 redirects /2024/01/15/article-title to /article-title. Adjust the pattern based on your specific URL structure changes. Always test thoroughly with various URL formats.

SEO Best Practices for Redirects

Properly implemented redirects preserve your SEO efforts and maintain search engine rankings through site changes. Follow these best practices to maximize SEO value.

Always Use 301 for Permanent Changes

When content has permanently moved, exclusively use 301 redirects. Search engines treat 301 redirects as a clear signal to transfer ranking authority to the new URL. Using 302 redirects for permanent moves is one of the most common SEO mistakes, resulting in loss of rankings as search engines continue indexing the old URL instead of the new one.

Minimize Redirect Chains

A redirect chain occurs when URL A redirects to URL B, which redirects to URL C. Each redirect in the chain dilutes link equity and slows page load times. Search engines may stop following after 3-5 redirects, potentially losing the final destination entirely. Always redirect directly to the final destination: update old redirects when you move content again to avoid creating chains.

Redirect to Relevant Content

When redirecting, send users to the most relevant alternative content. If you've deleted a specific product page, redirect to the product category page rather than the homepage. Redirecting everything to the homepage (called "soft 404s") provides poor user experience and may be ignored by search engines as unhelpful redirects.

Monitor and Maintain Redirects

Regularly audit your redirects using tools like Screaming Frog, Google Search Console, or server log analysis. Identify and fix redirect chains, check for redirect loops (URL A redirects to B which redirects back to A), remove outdated redirects after sufficient time has passed (typically 1 year), and verify that redirects point to existing pages (not 404s).

Update Internal Links

While redirects handle external links and old bookmarks, you should update internal links to point directly to new URLs. This improves site performance by eliminating unnecessary redirects for your own visitors and reinforces to search engines that the new URLs are canonical. Use search-and-replace tools in your CMS or database to bulk update internal links after implementing redirects.

Common Redirect Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Understanding common pitfalls helps you implement redirects correctly the first time, avoiding SEO problems and technical issues.

Syntax Errors Causing Server Errors

Even small typos in .htaccess files can cause "Internal Server Error" (500 errors) that make your website inaccessible. Common syntax mistakes include missing spaces between directive elements, incorrect regular expression syntax, unclosed brackets or parentheses, and invalid flag combinations. Always test in a development environment first, and keep a backup copy of your working .htaccess file to quickly restore if problems occur.

Redirect Loops

Redirect loops occur when redirects create a circular path: page A redirects to page B, which redirects back to page A. This causes browsers to display "Too Many Redirects" errors. Prevent loops by carefully planning your redirect structure, testing each redirect after implementation, and using redirect mapping tools to visualize complex redirect relationships before implementing them.

Redirecting to Non-Existent Pages

Implementing redirects to URLs that don't exist (resulting in 404 errors) defeats the purpose of redirects. Before implementing bulk redirects, verify that all destination URLs are live and accessible. Create missing pages before activating redirects, or adjust redirect destinations to existing relevant content. Regularly check redirect destinations to ensure pages haven't been deleted or moved.

Case Sensitivity Issues

Apache servers treat URLs as case-sensitive by default (/Page.html differs from /page.html). This can cause redirects to fail if the case doesn't match exactly. Use the [NC] (NoCase) flag in RewriteRule directives to make pattern matching case-insensitive: RewriteRule ^old-page.html$ /new-page.html [R=301,NC,L]. Alternatively, establish and enforce consistent URL casing conventions across your site.

Forgetting Query Strings

Simple Redirect directives don't automatically preserve query strings (the ?parameter=value portion of URLs). If you need to preserve query strings, use mod_rewrite with the [QSA] (Query String Append) flag: RewriteRule ^old-page.html$ /new-page.html [R=301,QSA,L]. This ensures that /old-page.html?tracking=campaign redirects to /new-page.html?tracking=campaign, maintaining parameter values.

Testing and Validating Redirects

Proper testing ensures your redirects work correctly before they impact real users and search engines. Follow these validation steps for every redirect implementation.

Browser Testing

Test redirects in multiple browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) to ensure consistent behavior. Type the old URL directly into the address bar and verify it redirects to the correct destination. Check that the browser address bar shows the new URL after redirect. Test both with and without www prefix if applicable. Remember that browsers cache redirects aggressively, so use incognito/private mode or clear cache between tests.

HTTP Status Code Verification

Use browser developer tools (F12) or online redirect checkers to verify the HTTP status code. In Chrome DevTools, open the Network tab, visit the old URL, and check the Status column for "301" or "302". Online tools like Redirect Checker, HTTP Status Code Checker, or Screaming Frog can test multiple URLs simultaneously and identify redirect chains or loops.

Command Line Testing

For technical users, command-line tools provide detailed redirect information. Use curl: curl -I https://example.com/old-page.html displays response headers including status code and Location header (destination URL). The -L flag follows redirects: curl -L https://example.com/old-page.html shows the full redirect chain. These tools are especially useful for testing redirects in automated scripts or continuous integration pipelines.

Monitoring After Implementation

After implementing redirects, monitor your website for issues. Check Google Search Console for crawl errors or redirect problems reported by Googlebot. Monitor server logs for unusual 404 errors that might indicate broken redirects. Track organic search traffic to redirected pages to ensure rankings are maintained. Set up alerts for sudden traffic drops or increases in 404 errors that could signal redirect problems.

Performance Considerations

While redirects are necessary for many situations, they impact website performance. Understanding and minimizing this impact ensures the best user experience.

Redirect Speed Impact

Each redirect adds an additional HTTP request-response cycle, increasing page load time. A single redirect typically adds 100-300 milliseconds depending on server response time and network conditions. Redirect chains multiply this delay, which is why minimizing chains is crucial. Mobile users on slower connections experience more pronounced delays, making redirect optimization especially important for mobile-friendly websites.

Caching and Redirects

Browsers cache 301 redirects aggressively, which improves performance for repeat visitors but can cause problems during testing or if you need to change redirect destinations. Use 302 redirects during testing phases, only switching to 301 when you're certain the redirect is correct. For truly permanent redirects, caching is beneficial and should be embraced, but document your redirects carefully in case future changes are needed.

Server Resource Usage

Complex regex patterns and extensive .htaccess rules consume server CPU resources with each request. Keep regular expressions as simple as possible while still matching your requirements. For sites with hundreds or thousands of redirects, consider using a redirect plugin (for WordPress) or database-driven redirect system that can cache redirect mappings in memory, reducing processing overhead.

Alternative Redirect Methods

While .htaccess redirects are powerful and efficient, alternative methods exist for specific scenarios or server configurations.

Server Configuration Files

If you have access to Apache's main configuration file (httpd.conf) or virtual host configurations, you can implement redirects there instead of .htaccess. This approach is faster because Apache doesn't need to check for .htaccess files in every directory. However, changes require server restart and typically require root access, making .htaccess more practical for shared hosting environments.

PHP Redirects

For dynamic redirects based on complex logic, PHP can issue redirects: header("HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently"); header("Location: https://example.com/new-page.html"); exit();. PHP redirects allow database lookups, conditional logic, and integration with application code. However, they're slower than server-level redirects and only work when PHP is processing the request.

Meta Refresh and JavaScript Redirects

HTML meta refresh tags (<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0;url=new-page.html">) and JavaScript redirects (window.location="new-page.html") are client-side alternatives. However, these are not SEO-friendly, don't pass proper HTTP status codes, are slower than server-side redirects, and can be blocked by browser security settings. Use only as absolute last resort when server-side redirects are impossible.

Redirect Management for Large Sites

Managing redirects for enterprise websites or large-scale site migrations requires systematic approaches beyond manual .htaccess editing.

Redirect Mapping and Planning

Before implementing redirects for site migrations, create a comprehensive redirect map. Export your old site's URL structure from your sitemap, analytics, or crawl data. Map each old URL to its new equivalent, documenting the reasoning for each redirect. Identify patterns that allow bulk redirects rather than individual rules. Have stakeholders review the redirect map before implementation to catch issues early.

Redirect Management Tools

For WordPress sites, plugins like Redirection or Yoast SEO Premium provide interfaces for managing redirects without editing .htaccess directly. These tools log 404 errors, suggest redirects, and provide import/export functionality for bulk redirect management. For other platforms, consider dedicated redirect services or CDN-level redirects that can handle complex redirect logic at the edge, reducing load on your origin server.

Documentation and Maintenance

Maintain documentation of all redirects including the date implemented, reason for the redirect, and when it can potentially be removed. Schedule periodic redirect audits (quarterly or annually) to clean up outdated redirects, consolidate chains, and remove redirects for pages that no longer receive traffic. Good documentation prevents confusion when team members change and ensures redirects can be maintained effectively over years.

.htaccess Redirect Generator

Complete Guide to .htaccess Redirects