Setting Up URL Redirects

1

Understand When You Need a Redirect

You should set up a redirect whenever:

You’ve renamed a page and the URL slug has changed
You’ve deleted a page but the old URL is still linked to from search engines, emails, or printed materials
You’ve merged two pages into one and want the old URL to point to the new combined page
You’re moving content from one section of the site to another
An external site links to a URL that no longer exists

A 301 redirect (permanent) tells search engines that the page has permanently moved, transferring any SEO value from the old URL to the new one. This is the type you’ll want in almost every case.

Pro Tip

If you've just changed a page slug in WordPress, WordPress sometimes creates a redirect automatically. Test the old URL first — if it already redirects, you don't need to do anything.

2

Open the Redirection Plugin

Your website has the Redirection plugin installed for managing URL redirects:

Log in to WordPress
In the sidebar, go to Tools → Redirection
You’ll see a list of all existing redirects on your site (if any have been set up previously)

The Redirection plugin interface shows you the source URL (the old address), the target URL (where visitors are sent), and the number of times each redirect has been used.

Pro Tip

If you don't see Redirection under the Tools menu, it may not be installed on your site. Please contact InnerMedia support and we can set it up for you.

3

Add a New Redirect

To create a new redirect:

At the top of the Redirection page, click Add New (or scroll to the “Add new redirection” form)
In the Source URL field, enter the old URL path — this is the part after your domain name. For example, if the old page was yoursite.com/old-page-name, you would enter /old-page-name
In the Target URL field, enter the new URL path. For example, /new-page-name
Leave the Group set to Redirections (the default)
Click Add Redirect

The redirect is active immediately — test it by visiting the old URL in your browser. You should be automatically sent to the new page.

Pro Tip

You only need to enter the path (e.g., /about-us), not the full URL with the domain. The plugin will handle the rest.

4

Test Your Redirect

After creating a redirect, always test it:

Open a new browser tab (or an incognito/private window for a clean test)
Type the old URL into the address bar and press Enter
You should be automatically taken to the new page
Check the address bar — it should show the new URL

If the redirect isn’t working, go back to Tools → Redirection and verify:

The source URL path is exactly correct (including any trailing slashes)
There are no conflicting redirects for the same URL
The target URL exists and is a published page

Pro Tip

Try testing in an incognito window to avoid browser caching issues. You may also need to clear your browser cache.

5

Common Redirect Mistakes to Avoid

When setting up redirects, watch out for these common pitfalls:

Redirect loops: Page A redirects to Page B, and Page B redirects back to Page A. This causes a browser error. Always make sure your target URL is a real, published page that doesn’t redirect elsewhere.
Chain redirects: Page A → Page B → Page C. While these work, they slow down the visitor experience and dilute SEO value. If Page A should ultimately go to Page C, set the redirect directly from A to C.
Redirecting to deleted pages: Make sure the target page actually exists before creating the redirect.
Forgetting trailing slashes: /about-us and /about-us/ may be treated differently. If in doubt, add a redirect for both versions.

Pro Tip

If you need to set up a large number of redirects (e.g., after a site restructure), please contact InnerMedia support — we can import them in bulk and ensure nothing is missed.

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