How to Set Up a 301 Redirect on WordPress Without Losing Rankings

You bought a better domain name. One customers can actually say out loud. Now you're staring at your old WordPress site, wondering if switching means starting over on Google.

It doesn't have to. A 301 redirect is the tool that carries your old rankings to the new name. Set it up right and Google treats the new address as the same site, just under a better name. Set it up wrong and you lose traffic you spent years earning.

Here's how to do a 301 redirect on WordPress and preserve authority, in plain steps.

What a 301 redirect actually does

A 301 is a permanent forwarding order. When someone types your old web address, or clicks an old link to it, the 301 sends them to the new page and tells Google, "This moved for good. Point everything you knew about the old page at the new one."

That last part matters. Every link pointing at your old site, every bit of trust Google built up over the years, most of it follows a 301 to the new address. A temporary redirect (a 302) does not do this reliably, which is why the type you pick matters more than it sounds. We break that down in 301 vs 302 redirects: which one protects domain authority.

Before you touch anything: map your pages

The biggest mistake is dumping every old page onto the new homepage. Don't. If your old plumbing-repair page ranked, it should redirect to the plumbing-repair page on the new site, not the front door.

Make a simple list. Old page on the left, matching new page on the right. Cover:

• Your homepage
• Every service page that gets traffic
• Any blog post that ranks or gets visits
• Your contact and about pages

Why bother matching page for page? Because a redirect to the exact matching page keeps far more of your rankings than a lazy redirect to the homepage. We explain the difference in redirect to homepage or matching page.

Setting up the redirect in WordPress

There are two clean ways to do this. Most small business owners should use the first.

Option 1: A redirect plugin (easiest)

Free plugins like Redirection or the redirect tools built into Yoast SEO and Rank Math handle this without touching any code. The steps look about the same in each:

1. Install and activate the plugin from your WordPress dashboard.
2. Open its redirects screen.
3. Enter the old URL (the "source") and the new URL (the "target").
4. Make sure the redirect type is set to 301, not 302.
5. Save, then test it by visiting the old URL in your browser.

Repeat for every page on your map. A little tedious, worth it.

Option 2: Edit the .htaccess file (for whole-domain moves)

If you're moving the entire site to a new domain, the cleanest approach is a rule in your .htaccess file that forwards every old page to its match on the new domain in one shot. This is best done by whoever manages your hosting, because a typo here can take a site offline. Your host's support team can usually add it in a few minutes. Google's own guide to moving a site with URL changes walks through exactly what to send them.

The mistakes that quietly cost you rankings

The redirect working is not the same as the redirect being right. A few traps to avoid:

• Redirect chains. Old page points to a second page, which points to a third. Each hop leaks a little trust. Send old pages straight to their final home. More on this in redirect chains and loops.
• Redirecting everything to the homepage. Covered above. Match page to page.
• Forgetting to keep the old domain paid up. The redirect only works while you still own the old name. Keep it renewed for at least a year or two after the move.
• Using 302s by accident. Some plugins default to temporary. Check the type.

We rounded up the rest in 7 common 301 redirect mistakes that kill domain authority. Worth a read before you start.

After the move: tell Google and watch

Once your redirects are live and tested:

1. Add the new domain in Google Search Console and verify it.
2. Use the Change of Address tool there if you moved to a whole new domain.
3. Submit your new sitemap.
4. Update your Google Business Profile, social links, and directory listings to the new address.

Then be patient. Rankings usually hold steady or dip briefly before recovering over a few weeks. That's normal. If a page drops and stays down, check its redirect first.

For the full walkthrough of moving from an old name to a new one, see how to 301 redirect an old domain to preserve its authority.

Is the move worth it at all?

If your current domain is hard to spell, hard to say, or embarrassing to give out over the phone, a better name usually pays for itself in customers who actually find and remember you. The 301 is what lets you switch without throwing away the search traffic you've already built. You get the better name and keep the rankings.

Weighing whether a cleaner name is worth it for your business? Browse names for your city or trade, or ask us about one specific domain you have your eye on. Takes about a minute, no pressure either way.