Web Redirect Tutorial

Web site redirection methods:

1. One can forward a web page URL or home page using the following web page with the "Refresh" directive:

   <META HTTP-EQUIV="Refresh" Content="0; URL=http://www.company.com/dir1/">

   This commands the browser to refresh the page with the new specified URL.

2. Use a CGI script to forward a home page: (mod_cgi)

   File: httpd.conf

   ScriptAlias / /var/www/cgi-bin/redirect-script/

   File: /var/www/cgi-bin/redirect-script

   #!/usr/bin/perl print "Status: 301 Moved\r\n" . "Location: http://www.new-domain.com/\r\n" . "\r\n";

3. Use Apache module (mod_rewrite)

   File: httpd.conf

   RewriteEngine On RewriteRule /.* http://www.new-domain.com/ [R]

   Forwards all references in entire domain.

4. Use Apache module (mod_alias )

   File: httpd.conf

   • Redirect Domain:

     Redirect / http://www.new-domain.com/

   • Redirect Page:

     Redirect /web-page.html http://www.new-domain.com/destination-web-page.html

     Note: Redirect directives take precedence over Alias and ScriptAlias directives.

5. Apache 301 redirect using the .htacess file:

   If one wants to permanently forward an entire web site to a new URL or forward a single page permanently and have the search engines update their database, one should use a 301 redirect. This may redirect to a new server or to inself but to a different domain. This tutorial shows how. This method is a variation of using the mod_alias redirection shown above except that it allows the customer to redirect themselves by providing a .htacess file themselves.

• Redirect entire domain:

  Redirect 301 / http://www.new-domain.com/

  Note: The use of the "/" at the end of the redirected domain. This is necessary so that http://www.old-domain.com/page1.html will be redirected to http://www.new-domain.com/page1.html.

  OR
• Redirect specified pages:

  Redirect 301 /old-page-1.html http://www.newdomain.com/new-page-1.html Redirect 301 /old-page-2.html http://www.newdomain.com/new-page-2.html

  You may use the following directives:

• 301: permanent
• 302: temp
• 303: seeother
• 410: gone

Redirect permanent / http://www.newdomain.com/

If an incorrect directive is used in the httpd.conf or .htaccess file it will result in a server error. Check your log files: /var/log/httpd/error_log.

HTTP Code	Status	Description
301	permanent	The resource has permanently moved
302	temp	The resource has temporarily moved
303	seeother	The resource has been replaced and refer to new resource
305	UseProxy	Use proxy to access site
307	Temp	The resource has temporarily moved
410	Tegone	The resource has permanently removed

See RFC 2616 HTTP/1.1 protocol - Chapter 10.3