URL redirects transfer traffic from old pages to new ones through 301 (permanent) or 302 (temporary) redirects. Here's how to effectively manage URL mapping:

301 vs 302 Redirects

301 Redirect (Permanent)

• Transfers search engine ranking to new page
• Use when:
  • Changing page URLs permanently
  • Removing pages
  • Importing content with different URLs
  • Redirecting to different domains

302 Redirect (Temporary)

• Maintains original page ranking
• Use when:
  • Temporarily updating pages
  • Rotating seasonal content
  • Switching between services

Creating Redirects

Format your redirects as:

old-url -> new-url 301/302

Key Guidelines:

• Original URL must not exist
• New URL must be active
• Case-sensitive matching
• Avoid ?, &, # symbols
• 400 KB limit (≈2,500 redirects)
• Higher redirects take priority

Redirecting Multiple Items

For collection pages (blogs, stores, events):

• Use [name] variable to redirect all items
• Example:

  /old-blog/[name] -> /new-blog/[name] 301

Common Scenarios

Page URL Change:

/about -> /team 301

Deleted Page:

/history -> / 301

External Domain:

/fundraiser -> https://external-site.com 301

Seasonal Updates:

/summer-sale -> /winter-sale 302

Troubleshooting

Common errors:

• Missing parts (arrow or redirect type)
• Invalid format
• Multiple redirects within 2 minutes
• Redirecting to invalid pages

For RSS feeds, remove query parameters:

/feed -> /new-feed 301

Remember to clean up old redirects and regularly verify redirect functionality to maintain optimal site performance.

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