{"id":2326,"date":"2021-06-29T09:58:24","date_gmt":"2021-06-29T06:58:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/?p=2326"},"modified":"2022-05-19T18:16:29","modified_gmt":"2022-05-19T15:16:29","slug":"working-with-the-htaccess-and-redirects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/working-with-the-htaccess-and-redirects\/","title":{"rendered":"Working with the .htaccess and Redirects"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

URL redirections let web admins forward visitors to the new location<\/b> when a page moves or gets deleted.  <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Web direct helps<\/span> minimize the loss of traffic and sales<\/b> due to a moved or deleted page. It can also make the navigation experience seamless by preventing visitors from running into <\/span>404<\/b> errors<\/b> when visiting their favorite pages.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Web redirects also let web admins <\/span>force all visitors<\/span> to connect securely to the website through HTTPS and<\/span> address duplicate content concerns.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can place a redirect rule on your domain\u2019s .htaccess file. Let\u2019s find out what it is and <\/span>how to add different redirect rules.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s .htaccess File<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The .htaccess file, short for hypertext access file, is a <\/span>server configuration file. <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It lets users make quick changes to their server settings. <\/b>However, the file configures the server only for the directory it\u2019s in. So, for instance, the .htaccess file in the document root directory (<\/span>public_html<\/b>) can only <\/span>configure server settings for the primary domain.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you wish to configure server settings for a subdomain, you\u2019ll need to do that in its .htaccess file. You can also <\/span>place the file in a subdirectory<\/b>, for example,<\/span>\/downloads<\/b>, to configure server settings for it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a server configuration file, any error or misconfiguration on <\/span>the .htaccess will affect your website<\/b>, so before you make any edits, it might not be a bad idea to back up the original file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Types of Web Redirects<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Web redirection could be permanent or temporary<\/b>. Let\u2019s examine quickly what each means.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Permanent Redirect<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Permanent redirect or 301 redirect<\/span> indicates permanent relocation.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It helps users forward web visitors to a new page when the <\/span>previous location moves permanently or gets deleted.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Use this redirection type if you don\u2019t wish to bring back the old URL.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Temporary Redirect<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Temporary redirect or 302 redirect <\/span>indicates temporary relocation.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It forwards visitors from a page to another temporarily and is <\/span>helpful if you wish to reinstate the URL later.<\/b> You could use temporary redirects when carrying out website maintenance.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you <\/span>build a new page,<\/b> you could temporarily redirect your visitors to it when they visit the old page to get their feedback before deleting it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating Different Redirects Rules<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can <\/span>create web redirects by placing web redirect rules<\/b> on the .htaccess file using the correct syntax. Let\u2019s explore some of the redirects you can make.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Redirecting the Homepage to a Specific Subfolder<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can <\/span>redirect permanently to another URL<\/b> on the same website by adding this code to your .htaccess file.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RewriteEngine On<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Redirect 301 \/index.html https:\/\/newdomain.com\/new\/newdirectory<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Redirect 301<\/b> in the code indicates permanent redirect. You could replace 301 with 302 if you wish to redirect temporarily. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please, don\u2019t forget to replace <\/span>https:\/\/newdomain.com\/newdirectory<\/b> with the directory you wish to redirect to. Some websites use<\/span> \/index.php<\/b> as the index file, so replace <\/span>\/index.html<\/b> if it applies to your website.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t add the <\/span>RewriteEngine On <\/b>line if you already have it at the beginning of your file before the closing <\/span><\/Ifmodule><\/b> tag. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always begin your .htaccess file with the line.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Working<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Redirecting to a New Page<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To redirect a page to another URL on the same website:<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n