Redirection

A redirection is where a URL points to another URL. For example, you might visit example-website.com and it could redirect you to example.com/another-page.

Redirections are commonly used for marketing purposes, by redirecting a short and memorable web address to a specific page. They are also often used when a website or webpage has changed, e.g. if a product is renamed or a website has moved.

To avoid link rot, it is recommended that when a page is moved or deleted, its old address should always redirect to a new one. Doing this helps retain the value of any backlinks to the old pages, which helps maintain your SEO.

Redirections have specific HTTP status codes, and are often named after them: so-called 301 and 302 redirections.

Further reading

• HTTP status codes – Silktide
• Backlinks – Silktide