How to Redirect a Website to Another Domain or URL (2026)

Whether you're moving a whole site to a new domain or sending one old URL to a new page, the job is the same: answer the old address with a redirect to the new one. The right tool depends on where the old domain lives and whether it still has hosting. This guide covers every common option, with the exact lines to paste, and how to check the result.

Pick the right method#

Before you start#

• Use a 301 for a permanent move. It tells Google to index the new address and move ranking signals there. Use a 302 only if the old address is coming back. Our guide to redirect types and their SEO impact explains the difference.
• Decide: whole domain or one URL. A domain move should keep the path, so olddomain.com/pricing goes to newdomain.com/pricing. A single URL redirect sends one address to one page.
• Cover root and www. Visitors type both olddomain.com and www.olddomain.com. Both need to redirect.
• Keep the old domain registered. If it expires, every redirect and every old link stops working.

Method 1: Forward the domain at your registrar (no hosting)#

Most registrars and DNS providers can forward a domain without any hosting. The menu names differ, but the steps are similar:

1. Sign in to the registrar or DNS provider where the old domain is managed.
2. Open the domain's settings and find Forwarding, Redirect or URL redirect.
3. Enter the full destination address, including https://.
4. Choose a permanent (301) redirect if the move is permanent.
5. Save, then wait for the change to apply. DNS updates can take from minutes to a few hours.

We have step-by-step guides for GoDaddy domain forwarding, Namecheap redirects and Cloudflare redirects. Registrar forwarding is free and fine for one domain to one address. Check two things afterwards: that https://olddomain.com redirects without a certificate warning, since support for HTTPS varies by provider, and whether paths are kept or everything lands on the home page.

Method 2: Apache (.htaccess)#

If the old site still runs on Apache, open the .htaccess file in the site's root folder (create it if it doesn't exist). To send one URL to another:

apacheRedirect 301 /old-page https://newdomain.com/new-page

To move a whole domain and keep every path, with both root and www covered:

apacheRewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^(www\.)?olddomain\.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://newdomain.com/$1 [R=301,L]

Method 3: Nginx#

On Nginx, add a server block for the old domain that returns a 301 and keeps the requested path. For HTTPS, add your certificate lines to the same block:

nginxserver {
    listen 80;
    server_name olddomain.com www.olddomain.com;
    return 301 https://newdomain.com$request_uri;
}

For a single page, put return 301 https://newdomain.com/new-page; inside a location block for the old path. Reload Nginx after the change.

Method 4: WordPress#

On WordPress you don't need to touch server files: a redirect plugin lets you add old and new URLs from the admin screen. Our WordPress redirect guide walks through the options. To move a whole WordPress site to a new domain, redirect at the server or DNS level instead, so every old URL is covered.

Method 5: PHP or JavaScript (last resort)#

If you can only edit page files, a PHP header works as a real server-side redirect. Set the 301 yourself, because PHP sends a 302 by default:

php<?php
header("Location: https://newdomain.com/new-page", true, 301);
exit;

JavaScript runs only after the page loads, and Google can follow it only if it renders the page, so use it only when nothing else is possible:

javascriptwindow.location.replace("https://newdomain.com/new-page");

Check that the redirect works#

Open the old address in a private window, with and without www and with https://. To see the status code, run curl -I https://olddomain.com and look for 301 and the new address in the Location line, or enter the old domain in our redirect speed test.

Method 6: Redirect a domain without hosting using RedirHub#

RedirHub answers for the old domain so you don't need a server. Your DNS and email stay where they are; you only change the root and www records.

1. In the dashboard, start a new Domain Redirect.
2. In Redirect from, enter the old domain, for example oldbrand.com. A root domain also covers www.
3. In Redirect to, enter the new address, for example https://mybrand.com.
4. Under Redirect type, choose 301 · Permanent.
5. Under Paths, choose Keep the path for a domain move, or Everything to one URL to send every page to one address.
6. Click Create redirect.
7. Connect the domain: in Hostnames, open Connect DNS, add the records shown at your DNS provider, then click I've made the changes.

For one domain pointing at one address, registrar forwarding is free and does the job. RedirHub is worth it when you move a site with many pages, run several domains, or want to know whether the old domain still brings visitors.

If you're moving a whole site, a site migration mapping sends each old URL to its matching new page. If you own a forwarded domain portfolio, such as typo and country domains, you can manage them all in one place, and each one gets automatic SSL certificates for root and www.

Common mistakes#

• Forgetting www or https. Test all four versions of the old address: with and without www, http and https.
• Sending every page to the home page. Visitors lose the page they wanted. Keep the path or map pages one by one.
• Using a 302 for a permanent move. Google may keep showing the old domain in search results.
• Chaining redirects. Old domain to old site to new site adds a hop each time. Point straight at the final address.
• Letting the old domain expire. Keep renewing it for as long as old links bring visitors.