How to Set Up Redirects in cPanel

Introduction

Redirects in cPanel allow you to forward traffic from one URL to another. This is especially useful if you’re restructuring your website, rebranding with a new domain, or want to point multiple domains to the same content. Redirects help ensure that visitors and search engines are properly guided to the right location without broken links or lost traffic.

This article explains how to create and manage redirects in cPanel using its built-in Redirects tool.

Types of Redirects

When setting up a redirect, cPanel offers two main types:

• 301 (Permanent Redirect):
  Tells browsers and search engines that a page has permanently moved. Best for SEO and long-term changes.

• 302 (Temporary Redirect):
  Used when a page is temporarily moved. Ideal if you plan to bring the original URL back later.

Accessing the Redirects Tool in cPanel

1. Log in to your cPanel account

2. Scroll to the Domains section

3. Click on Redirects

You’ll now see the redirect creation screen.

How to Create a Redirect

Step 1: Choose Redirect Type

• Select either Permanent (301) or Temporary (302) based on your use case.

Step 2: Select the Domain

• Choose the domain (or subdomain) from the dropdown.

Step 3: Enter the Page/Path

• If you want to redirect the entire domain, leave the path blank.

• If redirecting a specific page (e.g., old-page), enter the path: old-page

Step 4: Destination URL

• Enter the full URL where you want the traffic redirected.
  Example: https://newdomain.com/new-page

Step 5: "www." Option

• Choose if the redirect should apply to:

  • Only the www version

  • Only the non-www version

  • Both

Step 6: Wild Card Redirect (Optional)

• Check this if you want to redirect all files/folders under the path to the same path on the destination domain.

Example: Redirecting yourdomain.com/folder1/abc to newdomain.com/folder1/abc

Step 7: Click Add

Example Use Cases

Managing Existing Redirects

To view or delete redirects:

1. Scroll down on the Redirects page

2. You’ll see a list of current redirects

3. Click Delete next to any entry to remove it

Changes take effect immediately.

Important Notes

• Redirects are set in .htaccess, so advanced users can also edit them manually

• Avoid chaining multiple redirects — this can slow down loading and confuse SEO crawlers

• Always test redirects after adding them to ensure they work correctly

• If you use a CMS like WordPress, plugin-based redirects may conflict with cPanel settings

Conclusion

Redirects are a simple but powerful way to guide visitors and search engines to the right place on your website. Whether you’re maintaining old URLs, managing multiple domains, or organizing content, the Redirects tool in cPanel makes it easy to control where traffic goes — all without touching any code.