How to Set up a Redirect on your Domain.
A 301 redirect is a permanent redirection from one URL to another. It tells web browsers and search engines that a webpage has moved permanently / temporarily to a new address.
Why use a 301 redirect?
- Preserve SEO rankings: It transfers most of the original page’s search engine ranking power to the new URL.
- Fix broken links: Redirects old or incorrect URLs to the correct page, improving user experience.
- Consolidate duplicate content: Combines different URLs that show the same content to avoid SEO penalties.
- Change domain or site structure: Helps when you rebrand or restructure your website without losing traffic.
In short, a 301 redirect ensures users and search engines are seamlessly guided to the correct, updated page.
The steps to create a 301 Redirect depend on the control panel the client is using. Below are the steps for cPanel, DirectAdmin, and SiteWorx:
1. cPanel
Log into cPanel:
- Open your web browser and navigate to Hosting URL which will resemble the following http://yourdomain.com:2083
- Enter your cPanel username and password to log in.
- Navigate to Domains → Redirects.
- Under Type, select Permanent (301).
- Choose the domain from the https?://(www.)? dropdown.
- Enter the target URL in the Redirects to field.
- Select whether you want to redirect with or without www.
- Click Add to apply the redirect.
- The redirect will be added automatically to your .htaccess file.
2. DirectAdmin
Step 1: Log in to DirectAdmin
- Open your web browser and navigate to your DirectAdmin login page, which will typically be a URL similar to https://yourdomain.com:2222. Alternatively, you can login through your Client Control Panel.
- Enter your username and password, then click "Sign in."
- Go to Account Manager → Site Redirection.
- Click Create New Redirect.
- In the Local URL Path field, enter / to redirect the whole domain or specify a subdirectory.
- In the Destination URL field, enter the target website.
- Choose Permanent (301) as the type.
- Click Create to save the redirect.
- The redirect will be added automatically to your .htaccess file.
3. SiteWorx
Log In to SiteWorx
- Access your SiteWorx login page, typically at http://yourdomain.com:2443/siteworx/ or you can use your Client Control Panel to login
- Enter your Email Address, Password and Domain then click "Login."
- Look and click on File Manager
- Open the .htaccess file located in the html directory.
- Add the following redirect rule:
-
Redirect the entire domain to a new domain:
# This allows you to redirect your entire website to any other domain
Redirect 301 / http://my-example.com/
- Click Save and exit.