URL redirects are useful when you want to change the permalink of a blog post or page in WordPress. By creating redirects, you can ensure that visitors will be directed to the new URL instead of receiving a 404 error page.
In this tutorial, we will show you how to redirect URLs in WordPress using the popular Redirection plugin. Follow the steps below to set up and manage your redirects effectively.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Install and Activate the Redirection Plugin
- Go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Plugins > Add New.
- Search for the “Redirection” plugin.
- Click on “Install Now” and then “Activate” to enable the plugin.
Step 2: Configure the Redirection Plugin
- After activating the plugin, go to Tools and click on “Redirection” to access the plugin settings.
- Start the setup process by clicking on “Start Setup.”
- You have the option to monitor permanent changes. If you enable this feature, the plugin will automatically create redirects whenever you change a permalink.
- If you want to keep a log of all the redirects, select the option to log redirects.
- Click on “Continue Setup” and then “Finish Setup” to complete the configuration.
Step 3: Redirect Permalinks Automatically
- Open a blog post or page you want to change the permalink for.
- Edit the permalink by adding the new URL or modifying the existing one. For example, you can add a “-2” at the end of the original URL.
- Click on “Update” to save the changes.
- The Redirection plugin will automatically create a redirect for the previous permalink, directing visitors to the new URL.
Step 4: Create Manual Redirects
- If you need to create a redirect for a URL that has changed in the past, navigate to the Redirection plugin settings.
- Copy the original URL that you want to redirect.
- Go to the “Redirection” tab in the plugin settings and paste the original URL in the “Source URL” field.
- In the “Target URL” field, enter the new URL where you want the visitors to be redirected.
- Click on “Add Redirect” to create the manual redirect.
Step 5: Test the Redirects
- To verify that the redirects are working correctly, open a new tab in your browser and paste the original URL that you made the redirect for.
- If the redirect is successful, you will be directed to the new URL specified in the Target URL field.
Step 6: Manage 404 Errors
- The Redirection plugin also allows you to monitor 404 errors on your website.
- Go to the “404s” tab in the Redirection plugin settings.
- This tab will show you all the URLs that visitors have tried to access but resulted in a 404 error.
- If you notice frequent 404 errors for a specific URL, you can create a redirect by clicking on “Add Redirect” and specifying the desired destination URL.
- Alternatively, you can create a custom 404 error page and redirect the 404 errors to it by creating a redirect to the home page or the custom page using the “/” (forward slash) symbol.
Conclusion
URL redirects are crucial for maintaining a seamless user experience on your WordPress website. By using the Redirection plugin, you can easily create and manage redirects for changed permalinks or 404 errors. Follow the step-by-step guide outlined in this tutorial to ensure that visitors are directed to the correct URLs and avoid frustrating 404 error pages.