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Setting Up URL Redirects

URL redirects allow you to automatically send visitors from one web address to another. When someone visits the original URL, they are seamlessly forwarded to the new destination without needing to do anything. The FREAKHOSTING Web Hosting Control Panel at web.freakhosting.com makes it easy to create, manage, and remove redirects for any of your websites.

Difficulty

Intermediate

Time

5 Minutes

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When Would You Need a Redirect?

Redirects are useful in many everyday situations. Here are some common reasons you might want to set one up:
  • You moved a page to a new URL and want visitors who bookmarked the old address to reach the new one automatically.
  • You changed your domain name and need traffic from the old domain to arrive at the new one.
  • You want to forward www to non-www (or the other way around) so your site works the same regardless of how people type your address.
  • You are running a temporary promotion and want a short, memorable URL to point to a specific page on your site.
  • You deleted a page and want to send visitors to a related page instead of showing them an error.
Redirects happen instantly and invisibly. Your visitors will not see the original URL at all — their browser will take them straight to the destination.

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Understanding Redirect Types

Before creating a redirect, it helps to understand the two types available. Choosing the right one matters — not just technically, but for your business and your search rankings.

301 — Permanent Redirect

Use this when the move is permanent. A 301 tells search engines: “This page has moved for good — update your records.” All the SEO value (ranking power, backlinks) from the old URL gets transferred to the new one. Think of it like filing a change-of-address form with the post office.

302 — Temporary Redirect

Use this when the move is temporary. A 302 tells search engines: “This page is just visiting somewhere else for a while — keep the original in your index.” The old URL retains its search rankings because you plan to bring it back. Think of it like putting up a “temporarily relocated” sign.

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When Does This Actually Matter?

Here are some real business scenarios to help you decide:
ScenarioUseWhy
You rebranded and /about-us is now /our-story301The old page name is gone forever. You want Google to index the new URL and pass along any ranking value.
Your shop moved from oldstore.com to newstore.com301Permanent domain change. Every link, bookmark, and search result pointing to the old domain should lead to the new one.
You are running a Black Friday sale page for two weeks302The /deals URL will go back to your normal page after the sale. You do not want Google to replace your regular page in search results.
You are A/B testing a new homepage design302The test is temporary. You want to preserve the original page’s rankings while the experiment runs.
A blog post URL had a typo and you fixed it301The typo URL should never come back. Permanently send visitors to the corrected URL.
Not sure which one to pick? If the change is permanent and you do not plan to use the old URL again, go with 301. If you are only redirecting temporarily (for example, during a site redesign or a seasonal promotion), choose 302. When in doubt, 301 is almost always the right call.

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Accessing the Redirects Page

Follow these steps to find the redirects feature in your control panel:
1

Log In to the Control Panel

Open your web browser and go to web.freakhosting.com. Sign in with your FREAKHOSTING account credentials.
2

Select Your Website

From the dashboard or website list, click on the website where you want to set up a redirect.
3

Open the Advanced Dropdown

In the top navigation area of your website view, look for the Advanced dropdown menu. Click on it to expand the list of advanced features.
4

Click on Redirects

From the Advanced dropdown, click Redirects. This opens the redirects management page. If you have not created any redirects yet, you will see an empty state with a redirect icon and the message “No redirects” along with a brief description: “Add a permanent (301) or temporary (302) redirect to forward website visitors to another domain.”

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Creating a New Redirect

Once you are on the Redirects page, follow these steps to create a redirect:
1

Click Add Redirect

Click the Add redirect button to open the redirect creation form.
2

Enter the Source Path

In the Source path field, enter the URL path you want to redirect from. This is the old or original address. For example, if you want to redirect yourdomain.com/old-page, you would enter /old-page.
The source path should start with a forward slash (/) and should only include the path portion of the URL, not the full domain name. For example, enter /old-page rather than https://yourdomain.com/old-page.
3

Enter the Destination URL

In the Destination URL field, enter the full web address you want to redirect to. This is where visitors will be sent. For example, https://yourdomain.com/new-page or even an entirely different website like https://example.com.
4

Select the Redirect Type

Choose the type of redirect:
  • Select 301 for a permanent redirect (the old URL is gone for good).
  • Select 302 for a temporary redirect (you plan to use the old URL again later).
5

Save the Redirect

Click the Save or Add button to create your redirect. It will take effect immediately.
Your new redirect will appear in the list on the Redirects page right away. Visitors who go to the source path will immediately be forwarded to the destination URL.

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Real-World Examples: Step by Step

Let’s walk through three common redirect scenarios so you can see exactly what to type.

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Example 1: Redirect an Old Page to a New Page (301 Permanent)

You redesigned your website and renamed your “Services” page. The old URL was /services and the new one is /what-we-do.
FieldValue
Source path/services
Destination URLhttps://yourdomain.com/what-we-do
Type301 (Permanent)
Why 301? The old page name is retired permanently. You want search engines to update their index and transfer all ranking value to the new URL. Anyone who bookmarked /services will land on /what-we-do automatically.

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Example 2: Redirect an Entire Old Domain to a New Domain (301 Permanent)

You rebranded from oldcompanyname.com to shinynewhbrand.com. You want every visitor landing on the old domain to end up on the new one.
FieldValue
Source path/
Destination URLhttps://shinynewbrand.com
Type301 (Permanent)
Why 301? The old domain is gone for good. This tells search engines to transfer all authority to the new domain. Set this up on the old domain’s website in the panel, and repeat for important subpages like /about, /contact, etc., pointing each to its equivalent on the new domain.
For a full domain migration, create individual redirects for your most important pages (not just the homepage). Redirecting /blog/my-popular-post on the old domain to https://shinynewbrand.com/blog/my-popular-post preserves the SEO value of each specific page.

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Example 3: Temporary Redirect for a Seasonal Promotion (302 Temporary)

It is the holiday season and you want the easy-to-remember URL /deals to point to your actual promotion page buried deep in your site.
FieldValue
Source path/deals
Destination URLhttps://yourdomain.com/shop/holiday-2026-mega-sale
Type302 (Temporary)
Why 302? The promotion ends in January. After the holidays, you will delete this redirect and either let /deals return to its normal state or repurpose it for the next sale. Using 302 ensures search engines do not permanently replace /deals in their index with the holiday page.

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Managing Existing Redirects

All of your active redirects are listed on the Redirects page. From this list, you can:
  • View your redirects — See the source path, destination URL, and redirect type (301 or 302) for every redirect you have created.
  • Edit a redirect — Click on an existing redirect to update the source path, destination URL, or redirect type. This is useful if the destination has changed or you need to switch between a 301 and 302.
  • Delete a redirect — Remove a redirect that is no longer needed. Once deleted, visitors to the source path will no longer be forwarded and will see your website as normal (or receive a 404 error if no page exists at that path).
Changes to redirects take effect immediately. There is no delay or waiting period — as soon as you save an edit or delete a redirect, the change is live.

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Common Use Cases

If you have renamed or moved a page on your site, create a 301 redirect from the old path to the new one. For example, redirect /about-us to /our-story. This ensures visitors and search engines find the right page.
When switching to a new domain, set up 301 redirects for your most important pages so that anyone visiting the old domain is sent to the equivalent page on the new domain. For example, redirect /contact on the old domain to https://newdomain.com/contact.
If you want your website to work the same whether someone types www.yourdomain.com or just yourdomain.com, a redirect ensures both versions lead to the same place. This is typically a 301 redirect since the preference is permanent.
If your website uses an SSL certificate, you may want to redirect all http:// traffic to https:// so that every visitor gets the secure version of your site. This is best done as a 301 redirect to tell search engines that the HTTPS version is the permanent address.
If you are running a limited-time sale or event, you can create a short, easy-to-remember path like /sale and set up a 302 redirect to point it at the actual promotion page. When the promotion ends, simply delete the redirect.
If you removed a page and do not want visitors to see a 404 error, create a 301 redirect to send them to a related page or your homepage instead. This keeps the visitor experience smooth and preserves any search engine value the old page had.

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SEO Considerations

Choosing the right redirect type has a direct impact on how search engines treat your pages. Here is what you need to know:

When to Use a 301 (Permanent) Redirect

  • The original page has been permanently moved or deleted.
  • You want search engines to update their index to show the new URL.
  • You want to pass SEO ranking value (sometimes called “link juice”) from the old URL to the new one.
  • You are migrating to a new domain and want Google to recognize the new domain as the replacement.

When to Use a 302 (Temporary) Redirect

  • The redirect is short-term (for example, a seasonal sale or A/B test).
  • You plan to bring back the original URL in the future.
  • You do not want search engines to replace the original URL in their index.
  • You want the original page to keep its search rankings while the redirect is active.
Using a 302 redirect when you actually mean for the change to be permanent can hurt your search rankings. Search engines may keep indexing the old URL and never pass ranking value to the new one. When in doubt, 301 is usually the safer choice for any redirect you intend to keep long-term.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Redirects take effect immediately after you save them. Visitors to the source path will be forwarded to the destination URL right away. However, it may take some time for search engines to re-crawl your pages and update their results.
Yes. The destination URL can be any valid web address, including pages on a completely different website. Just make sure to include the full URL with https:// in the destination field.
No. URL redirects only affect web traffic (visitors browsing your site). They have no impact on email delivery or any other services associated with your domain.
Yes. You can create as many redirects as you need. Each redirect works independently, forwarding its specific source path to its own destination URL.
When you delete a redirect, visitors to the source path will no longer be forwarded. If a page exists at that path, they will see that page. If no page exists, they will receive a 404 (Page Not Found) error.
Yes. You can edit any existing redirect to change its type at any time. If you started with a temporary 302 redirect and decide the change is permanent, simply edit the redirect and switch it to 301.
Your browser is likely serving a cached version of the old page. Try clearing your browser cache or opening the URL in a private/incognito window. The redirect is working on the server side — it is just your local cache that has not caught up yet.

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Need Extra Help?

If you encounter any issues, our support team is ready to assist:

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Last Updated: March 2026 | Web Hosting Support: URL redirects made simple.