Why redirects matter for SEO
When you move or rename a page, redirects make sure visitors and search engines land in the right place instead of hitting a 404. Crucially, a 301 (permanent) redirect passes the old page's ranking signals on to the new URL, so you keep the authority you have already earned. A 302 is temporary and tells search engines the original will return.
Forcing a single canonical hostname - HTTPS over HTTP, and either www or non-www - prevents the same content being served on multiple variants, which dilutes ranking signals and can confuse analytics.
How to use this tool
Add each old-to-new path pair and choose 301 or 302. Toggle HTTPS enforcement and pick a www preference if you want those rules included. Copy the generated block into the .htaccess file at your Apache site root.
Always back up your existing .htaccess first - a single syntax error can take a site offline. Note that .htaccess is Apache-specific; Nginx uses different configuration.
301 vs 302 redirect: which should you use?
Use a 301 for anything permanent - a moved page, a renamed URL, a site migration. It tells search engines the change is final and transfers the old URL's ranking signals to the new one. Use a 302 only when the move is genuinely temporary and the original URL will return, such as a short promo page or A/B test. Using a 302 by mistake for a permanent move is a common SEO error that stops link equity from passing.
Why your .htaccess redirect isn't working
If a redirect refuses to fire, the usual culprits are: rules placed in the wrong order (Apache reads top-to-bottom, and the first match wins), a missing RewriteEngine On line, mod_rewrite not being enabled on the server, or aggressive browser caching of an old 301 (test in a private window). Also make sure your redirect rules sit above any WordPress block in the file.
Generate clean rules below to rule out syntax mistakes, then add them near the top of your .htaccess.
After the move, keep ranking
Once your redirects preserve authority, the next step is building more of it. Soro publishes optimised content on autopilot so your site keeps gaining ground. See how.