Redirecting All Pages to a New Domain with .htaccess

When migrating a website to a new domain, it’s crucial to implement redirects from the old domain to the new one. This ensures users are seamlessly directed to the correct location, maintains search engine ranking, and prevents broken links. The .htaccess file is a powerful tool for achieving this on Apache web servers. This tutorial explains how to redirect all pages from one domain to the homepage of another domain.

Understanding .htaccess

.htaccess (Hypertext Access) is a configuration file used on web servers running the Apache web server software. It allows you to make configuration changes without directly modifying the main server configuration file. This is particularly useful for shared hosting environments where you may not have access to the main server configuration.

The Basic Redirect Rule

The core of a redirect lies within the RewriteRule directive. Let’s break down the basic components:

RewriteEngine On: This line enables the rewrite engine, which is necessary for using rewrite rules.
RewriteRule: This directive defines the rewrite rule itself. It takes the following format: RewriteRule pattern replacement [flags]
- pattern: This is a regular expression that matches the requested URL.
- replacement: This is the new URL to which the request should be redirected.
- flags: These are options that modify the behavior of the rewrite rule. Common flags include:
  - R=301: Indicates a permanent redirect (HTTP status code 301). This is important for SEO, as it tells search engines to update their index with the new URL.
  - L: Stops processing further rewrite rules after this rule is applied.

To redirect all pages from an old domain to the homepage of a new domain, you can use the following rule:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://newdomain.example/ [R=301,L]

Explanation:

^(.*)$: This regular expression matches any character (.) zero or more times (*) from the beginning (^) to the end ($) of the URL path. The parentheses capture the entire path, but in this case it’s not used in the replacement.
http://newdomain.example/: This is the destination URL – the homepage of the new domain. Everything after the domain name in the original URL is discarded.
[R=301,L]: This indicates a permanent redirect and stops processing further rules.

Complete .htaccess Configuration

Here’s a complete .htaccess file configuration that includes the redirect rule:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://newdomain.example/ [R=301,L]

Place this code in a file named .htaccess in the root directory of your old domain.

Important Considerations

Testing: After implementing the redirect, thoroughly test it by navigating to various pages on your old domain to ensure they correctly redirect to the new domain’s homepage.
Browser Cache: Be aware that browsers may cache redirects. If you’re not seeing the redirect immediately, clear your browser cache or use a different browser.
SEO Implications: Using a 301 redirect is crucial for SEO. It tells search engines that the content has permanently moved to the new location, ensuring that the new domain inherits the ranking and link equity of the old domain.
HTTP to HTTPS: If you are also migrating to HTTPS, ensure your redirect rule uses https://newdomain.example/ instead of http://newdomain.example/.

By following these steps, you can effectively redirect all pages from your old domain to the homepage of your new domain using .htaccess, ensuring a smooth transition for your users and maintaining your website’s SEO.