An HTTP redirect sends visitors from one web address to another. It is useful for a moved page, a domain change or a short address. It transfers neither website files nor email accounts. A CNAME record serves a different purpose: it links names in DNS.
Prepare the source and destination
The destination must already work. The source domain must reach the hosting or service that will perform the redirect. If a visitor arrives over HTTPS, the source certificate must be valid before the browser can receive the redirect. The HTTPS destination also needs a valid certificate.
Check existing rules in the website, cPanel and any CDN or proxy. Choose which tool will manage this redirect and avoid conflicting rules. To align www and non-www addresses, see the guide to choosing your website’s main address.
Create a rule in cPanel
If the tool is available and cPanel is the appropriate place to manage this rule, open Redirects in the Domains section.
- Choose the type: 301 for a permanent move, or 302 for a temporary destination. A permanent redirect can remain cached after removal; a temporary one is not necessarily free of caching.
- Select only the affected domain. All Public Domains would extend the rule to every domain in the account.
- In the field after the slash, enter the source path if you are targeting a specific page or directory. Enter the complete destination, including
https://, in Redirects to. - Choose which variants to match: only with www, with or without www, or without www only. The destination must not trigger the same rule again.
- Enable Wild Card Redirect only when the paths should correspond: a source page should then lead to the same path at the destination. This option does not create custom mappings for renamed pages.
- Review the scope and destination, then add the rule.
Test beyond the homepage
Test the relevant HTTP and HTTPS variants, both forms of the hostname and an internal page. Include a harmless test parameter if your site uses URL parameters. Check the final address, errors and redirect loops. Parameter preservation depends on the effective rule; the Wild Card checkbox does not guarantee it.
During a migration, map old pages to relevant destinations. Do not send every page to the homepage by default. Forms, payments and APIs need particular review before a blanket redirect.
If the result differs, also investigate browser, website and CDN caches. A private window does not remove shared caches. To change an entry in cPanel, record its settings, then delete and recreate only the identified rule. Do not empty the website’s configuration file to resolve a conflict.
Plan the change with Nuagerie
Our team can help you check dependencies and plan a change that fits your website. In your Client Area, provide the affected domain, the intended result and the checks you have completed. Do not include passwords or access tokens in your request.
