How to Redirect a Domain to Another Domain (2026 Guide)

TL;DR

• A domain redirect sends all traffic from one domain to another automatically — no action required from the visitor.

• Use a 301 redirect for any permanent move. Use a 302 only for short-term, reversible situations.

• Registrar URL forwarding is appropriate for parked or inactive domains. It is not a reliable method for live site migrations.

• A correctly implemented 301 passes ranking signals to the new domain, but the transfer takes days to weeks — old URLs appearing in search results during that window is normal.

• Keep your redirect in place for at least a year. Removing it early risks losing the signals that have transferred.

What Is a Domain Redirect (and What It Isn't)

A domain redirect automatically sends anyone who visits one domain to a different one. Type the old address, land on the new one — no manual action required from the visitor.

This article covers full domain redirects: pointing an entire domain to another domain. It does not cover redirecting individual pages, subdomains, or email addresses. If you are rebranding, parking a domain, or selling one with traffic, you are in the right place.

Which Domain Redirect Method Do You Need?

Before touching any settings, identify your situation. The method that fits depends entirely on what the domain is doing right now.

Pick your method from the table above, then skip to that section. Reading all three is unnecessary.

301 vs. 302 Redirect: Which One Should You Use?

Before setting up any redirect, you need to know which type to use — because this decision affects your SEO directly.

A 301 redirect tells browsers and search engines the move is permanent. Search engines transfer ranking signals from the old domain to the new one and eventually stop indexing the old URL. Google Search Central confirms that permanent server-side redirects are the recommended method whenever a URL change is intended to be lasting.

A 302 redirect signals a temporary move. Search engines keep the old URL indexed and ranking signals stay on the origin domain. Use a 302 only if the redirect is genuinely short-term — a maintenance window, a temporary campaign landing page, or a test you plan to reverse.

Most readers making a permanent domain change should rarely, if ever, use a 302. When in doubt: use 301.

Note: HTTP also has 307 and 308 redirect codes. These are functionally similar to 302 and 301 respectively, but preserve the HTTP request method across the redirect. They are outside the scope of this guide, but worth knowing exist.

How to Redirect a Domain Using Registrar URL Forwarding

Registrar forwarding is the fastest option and requires no hosting, no server access, and no code. Log in to your registrar, find the forwarding or redirect setting for your domain, enter the destination URL, select 301, and save.

This method is appropriate for:

• Parked domains you want pointing somewhere

• Domains you have sold that still carry traffic

• Inactive domains you own as brand protection

This method is not appropriate for live site migrations. Registrar forwarding typically does not preserve URL paths — meaning olddomain.com/about will forward to newdomain.com, not newdomain.com/about. For a live site with indexed pages and backlinks, that is a meaningful SEO problem. Some registrars do offer path forwarding as an option, but support varies — check your registrar's documentation before assuming this is available.

HTTPS note: Registrar forwarding support for HTTPS-to-HTTPS forwarding varies by provider. Before relying on it, confirm your registrar handles this correctly. If it does not, visitors on secure connections may encounter browser warnings. Check your registrar's help documentation to verify.

DNS propagation: After saving registrar-level forwarding, allow up to 48 hours for the change to fully propagate. If the redirect does not appear to be working immediately, wait before troubleshooting.

How to Redirect a Domain with .htaccess (Best for Live Sites)

If your site runs on Apache hosting, the .htaccess file is the right tool. It handles HTTPS cleanly, preserves URL paths, and passes full link equity via a proper server-side 301. Apache remains the most common environment for shared hosting, though if your host uses Nginx, see the section below.

Steps:

1. Access your server via FTP or your host's file manager

2. Navigate to the root directory of the domain you are redirecting from

3. Open or create a file named .htaccess

4. Add the following code:

RewriteEngine On

# Match both www and non-www versions of the old domain

RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^olddomain\.com$ [OR]

RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.olddomain\.com$

# Redirect all paths permanently to the new domain, preserving the URL path

RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://newdomain.com/$1 [R=301,L]

5. Save and test using an HTTP status checker (search "redirect path checker" for free tools)

Replace olddomain.com and newdomain.com with your actual domains.

Important: If you have registrar forwarding active on the same domain, disable it before adding .htaccess rules. Running both creates a redirect chain (covered below), which degrades SEO performance and can cause browser errors.

For Nginx or Apache Server Config Users

If you manage your own server directly, add this to your server block instead of using .htaccess:

server {

    listen 80;

    server_name olddomain.com www.olddomain.com;

    # Preserve the full URL path on redirect

    return 301 https://newdomain.com$request_uri;

}

This processes the redirect before any application code runs, making it more efficient for high-traffic sites. Use it if you have direct access to your server configuration files and are comfortable editing them. Google Search Central's site move documentation recommends server-side redirects as the most reliably interpreted method.

What Happens to Your SEO When You Redirect a Domain

A correctly implemented 301 does transfer ranking signals to the destination domain. However, the transfer is not instant.

When you redirect to a new domain, Google will continue to occasionally show old URLs in results even after the new URLs are indexed. This is normal — it does not mean the redirect failed. Old URLs act as "alternate names" that fade from results as users and crawlers adjust to the new domain.

Do not set up a second redirect or make changes during this period. Let Google crawl and reindex on its own schedule.

Once the transition is complete, the new domain carries the authority. Gary Illyes of Google has also advised keeping them active for at least 12 months to allow ranking signals to fully transfer. If other sites link to your old domain, keeping the redirect in place long-term ensures those visitors and signals continue to reach the correct destination.

What Is a Redirect Chain and How Do You Fix It?

A redirect chain occurs when a visitor or crawler has to follow more than one redirect to reach the final destination. Each additional hop adds latency and can weaken the canonical signal passed to the destination. Google explicitly advises redirecting to the final destination directly, keeping chains to a minimum.

How chains typically form:

1. You set up registrar forwarding from olddomain.com to newdomain.com

2. Later, you add .htaccess rules on the new server

3. Requests now hit the registrar redirect, then the server redirect — two hops instead of one

How to diagnose one: Enter your domain into any HTTP status checker. If you see more than one 301 before reaching the final URL, you have a chain.

How to fix it: Identify the first redirect in the chain and update it to point directly to the final destination URL. Remove any intermediate redirects. The goal is one 301 from origin to destination — nothing in between.

A Note for Domain Investors

If you are buying or selling a domain that already has a redirect in place, check the redirect path before completing the transaction.

An active redirect pointing to a competitor's site, a parked page, or an unrelated destination affects how search engines currently associate the domain's signals. Before redirecting a purchased domain yourself, run three checks:

1. Check the redirect path using an HTTP status checker — confirm where it currently points and how many hops are in the chain

2. Check the backlink destination using a backlink tool — understand where the domain's link equity is currently flowing

3. Check indexation status in Google Search — search site:olddomain.com to see what Google currently has indexed for the domain

If you are selling a domain with traffic, registrar forwarding is the cleanest handoff method — it requires no active hosting and transfers easily when the domain changes ownership.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does redirecting a domain hurt SEO? 

A correctly implemented 301 redirect does not hurt SEO. Google treats permanent server-side redirects as strong canonical signals and transfers ranking signals to the destination domain.

The main risk is implementation errors — such as using a 302 instead of a 301, creating redirect chains, or removing the redirect too early before signals have fully consolidated.

How long does it take for a 301 redirect to take effect for SEO? 

Google typically begins processing a 301 and associating ranking signals with the new domain within days to a few weeks, depending on how frequently Googlebot crawls your site.

During this window, you may see old URLs still appearing in search results. This is expected behavior, not a failure. Avoid making changes during this period and allow Google to reindex on its own schedule.

Can I use registrar URL forwarding for a live website migration? 

Not reliably. Registrar forwarding typically redirects the root domain only and does not preserve URL paths. This means olddomain.com/contact will land on newdomain.com rather than newdomain.com/contact, which creates broken experiences for visitors and signals to search engines that specific pages no longer exist at their expected locations. For live site migrations, use .htaccess or server-level redirects instead.

What is the difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect? 

A 301 redirect is permanent — it tells browsers and search engines that a page or domain has moved for good, and ranking signals transfer to the new URL. A 302 redirect is temporary — search engines keep the original URL indexed and signals stay on the origin.

For any domain move you intend to keep, use a 301. Use a 302 only for short-term situations where you plan to reverse the redirect.

How long should I keep a 301 redirect in place? 

Google recommends maintaining redirects for at least a year following a domain migration. If other websites link to your old domain, keeping the redirect active long-term ensures those links continue to reach the correct destination and their associated signals are not lost.

Removing a redirect prematurely, before signals have fully consolidated, is one of the most common post-migration mistakes.