.htaccess Redirect Generator

An .htaccess redirect generator writes Apache rewrite rules for individual URL redirects plus optional force-HTTPS and www or non-www rules. Test any change on staging and keep a backup.

It runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you paste or upload is sent to a server or stored.

How to read the result and act on it

Review the generated rules line by line before using them. Each redirect should map an old path to a full new destination with the status you chose, 301 for permanent moves and 302 only for temporary ones. If you enabled force HTTPS or a host rule, those should appear first so the visitor goes through one clean redirect rather than a chain. Copy the block into your .htaccess file above the WordPress or framework rules, after taking a backup. Then test a sample of old URLs in a redirect checker, confirm each returns one hop to a 200 page, and update internal links so they point to the new addresses directly.

Common mistakes to avoid

The most damaging mistake is uploading rules without a backup, since one syntax error can return a 500 error for the whole site. Placing redirects below a catch-all rewrite rule means they may never run. Creating chains, such as old to intermediate to final, wastes time and crawl effort, so always point to the final URL. Mixing www and non-www or http and https in the destinations causes extra hops. Be careful with special characters and query strings, which need different handling than plain paths. Do not redirect many unrelated old pages to the homepage. Always test on staging first and make sure the server actually runs Apache with mod_rewrite enabled.

Where does .htaccess go?

In the web root of an Apache server. Many hosts also let you manage redirects in a control panel.

What if my server is Nginx?

Nginx ignores .htaccess. Use the Nginx redirect generator instead.

How do I redirect one URL to another in .htaccess?

Use a rule such as Redirect 301 /old-page https://example.com/new-page or a RewriteRule with the R=301 flag. Put it in the .htaccess file in your site root, save a backup first, and test the old URL afterwards.

How do I force HTTPS with .htaccess?

Add a RewriteCond that checks whether HTTPS is off, followed by a RewriteRule that redirects to the https version of the same URL with a 301. Test thoroughly, since proxies or CDNs can cause loops.

• Nginx Redirect Generator: Generate Nginx redirect rules for single URLs and forced HTTPS.
• Redirect Checker: Trace every redirect hop from a URL to its final destination, with status codes.
• HTTPS Redirect Checker: Check that http:// and www variants of a site redirect to one secure canonical address.

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