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Bulk Redirect Rule Generator

For .htaccess / Nginx Redirects.

How This Tool Works.

Need to redirect multiple old URLs to new ones via .htaccess or nginx? Our Bulk Redirect Rule Generator helps with this process,  you create the necessary server configuration rules quickly and easily.

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Input Your URLs.

  • In the "Old URLs" box, paste a list of the URLs or paths you want to redirect from (one per line). These are typically relative paths like /old-folder/page.html.

  • In the "New URLs" box, paste the corresponding destination URLs (one per line, in the same order as the old URLs). These should ideally be full, absolute URLs like https://www.yournewsite.com/new-page.

  • Make sure that the number of old URLs matches the number of new URLs.

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Choose Your Options.

  • Redirect Type: Select "301 Permanent" (for permanent moves, best for SEO) or "302 Temporary."

  • Server / Rule Format: Choose the format you need:

    • Apache .htaccess (RedirectMatch): Uses the mod_alias directive, good for simpler path matching with regex capabilities.

    • Apache .htaccess (RewriteRule): Uses the more powerful mod_rewrite engine for complex pattern matching and greater flexibility.

    • Nginx (rewrite): For Nginx server configurations.

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Generate Rules.

Click the "Generate Redirect Rules" button.

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Copy & Implement.

The tool will produce the redirect rules based on your input. Copy these generated rules and paste them into your server's configuration file (e.g., your .htaccess file for Apache, or your Nginx configuration file).

.htaccess and Apache Redirect Best Practices

Properly implemented redirects are crucial for SEO and user experience when URLs change. Here are key best practices for managing redirects on Apache servers using your .htaccess file:

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Choose the Right Redirect Type.

  • 301 Permanent Redirect: Use this for most cases when a page has permanently moved. It tells search engines to transfer link equity (SEO value) to the new URL.

  • 302 Temporary Redirect: Use this only if the move is truly temporary and you expect the old URL to be used again. Search engines may not pass full link equity.

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Understanding .htaccess.

This is a powerful configuration file used by Apache web servers to make changes on a per-directory basis.

 

Make sure that your server is configured to allow .htaccess overrides (typically via AllowOverride All or similar in your Apache httpd.conf or virtual host configuration).

 

Place your .htaccess file in the correct directory – usually the root directory of your website for site-wide rules, or specific subdirectories if needed.

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Common Apache Redirect Methods.

  • RedirectMatch (from mod_alias):

    • Syntax: RedirectMatch 301 ^/old-path/?$ https://www.example.com/new-path

    • Uses regular expressions (regex) to match the old path. Our tool helps create a regex to match the exact path with an optional trailing slash (/?$).

    • Simpler for straightforward path-to-URL redirects.

  • RewriteRule (from mod_rewrite):

    • Requires: RewriteEngine On directive to be enabled (usually once at the top of your .htaccess file or rewrite block).

    • Syntax: RewriteRule ^/old-path/?$ https://www.example.com/new-path [R=301,L]

    • Extremely powerful and flexible, also uses regex.

    • [R=301] specifies a 301 redirect. [L] means "Last Rule," telling Apache to stop processing further RewriteRule directives for this request if this rule matches.

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Rule Order is Important.

Apache processes .htaccess rules from top to bottom. If you have multiple rules that could potentially match a URL, the order can affect the outcome. Place more specific rules before more general ones.

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Use Absolute URLs for Destinations.

Always provide the full, absolute URL (including http:// or https:// and the domain name) as the destination for your redirects. This prevents ambiguity and makes sure users and search engines are sent to the correct location.

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Handle Paths Correctly.

The "Old URLs" you input into the tool should typically be the path component of the URL (e.g., /folder/page.html). The tool will help format this for regex matching.

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Test Your Redirects Thoroughly.

After implementing redirects, test each one meticulously. Use different browsers, clear your cache, or use incognito/private Browse windows.

 

Use an HTTP header checking tool to verify that the server is returning the correct status code (301 or 302) and that the Location: header points to the correct new URL.

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Backup Your .htaccess File.

Always create a backup of your existing .htaccess file before adding or modifying rules. A small syntax error can make your entire website inaccessible.

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Performance Considerations (for very large sites):

While .htaccess is convenient, Apache re-reads and processes it for every request to that directory (and its subdirectories). For sites with thousands of redirects, this can add a small performance overhead. If possible on your hosting environment (usually not on shared hosting), defining redirects in the main server configuration (httpd.conf or virtual host files) can be more performant.

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