Redirect Rule Generator

Written byOleh Soloninupdated 5 October 2026

Old path

New address

Where it goes

Response code

301, 302, 307 or 308.

Result

The rule
location = /old-page { return 301 https://example.com/new-page; }
Formatnginx
Code301
What the code meansa permanent redirect; signals pass to the new URL
Source path/old-page
What matters
Avoid chains: every extra hop adds a request and lengthens the crawler's path, and chains have a length limit. Point the old URL straight at the final one.

301 forever, 302 for now

Builds a redirect rule for nginx, Apache or Next.js with the response code you choose.

The code is picked by meaning, not by habit. A 301 tells a search engine 'this URL is not coming back, move everything to the new one', and the old URL gradually leaves the index. A 302 says 'this is temporary', and the old URL is the one that stays.

307 and 308 do the same but preserve the HTTP method: a POST stays a POST rather than turning into a GET. For ordinary pages that makes no difference; for forms and APIs it is essential.

How to use

Give the old address as a path starting with a slash, and the new one as a path or a full address.
Pick the code: 301 for a permanent move, 302 only when the old address is coming back.
Choose the configuration format and paste the rule where your server reads it.
Check the response header afterwards, not the look of the page: a JavaScript redirect looks identical and behaves differently.

One rule in three formats

The same redirect is written differently on every server and belongs in a different file on each. A rule pasted in the wrong place raises no error — it simply does nothing, and that is where half the debugging time goes.

When it takes effect differs too. An .htaccess file is read on every request, an nginx configuration after a reload, and next.config only after a fresh build and deploy.

The generator above produces all three, ready to paste. nginx gets three lines with location and return, Apache a RedirectMatch line anchored to the exact path (a plain Redirect would match every path that starts the same way), and Next.js an object whose permanent field gives a 308 when true and a 307 when false.
Format	Where it goes	When it takes effect
nginx	the server block for the domain	after nginx -s reload
Apache	.htaccess in the site root	immediately — the file is read per request
Next.js	the redirects array in next.config	after a fresh build and deploy

Four codes, two questions

Choosing a code answers two independent questions: is the move permanent, and should the request method survive. That gives four combinations, and there is exactly one code for each.

The second question is the one people miss, because it only shows up on forms. With 301 and 302 the browser may turn a POST into a GET, and the submitted data disappears. 307 and 308 forbid that.

The generator prints the meaning of the code under each rule. For an ordinary address change 301 is the right choice: it is the oldest and every intermediary understands it. 308 is for addresses that receive data.
Code	Move	Method preserved	Cached
301	permanent	no	yes
308	permanent	yes	yes
302	temporary	no	no
307	temporary	yes	no

What this calculator shows

A ready rule in the syntax of the server you chose
What the chosen response code means
A warning about redirect chains

What to keep in mind

The rule is meant for a single URL. Section-wide moves use regular expressions or a redirect map.
A redirect should lead to a page with matching content: sending every old URL to the homepage is treated as a soft 404.

FAQs

301 or 302 — which should I use?

301 when the old address is not coming back. 302 only for something genuinely temporary: a campaign, a test, a section under rebuild. A permanent move wants a 301 or 308: a 302 signals a temporary move and leaves open which address Google picks as canonical.

Does a 301 pass link equity?

Yes — search engines move the accumulated signals to the new address and replace the old one in the index. It is not instant: the crawler has to visit the old URL and see the redirect first.

Why does my form lose its data after a redirect?

Because 301 and 302 allow the method to change: the POST arrives as a GET and the form content is gone. An address that receives data needs a 308 or a 307.

Why are redirect chains a problem?

Every hop is another request: load time grows, and a crawler may give up part-way along a long chain. If A points to B and B to C, write two rules that both point straight at C.

How does a 308 differ from a 301?

Only in preserving the request method. Search engines treat them as equivalent; browsers do not, and a 308 guarantees a POST arrives at the new address as a POST.

Server-side redirect or JavaScript?

Server-side. A header redirect fires before the page loads and every crawler understands it. A script or a meta refresh looks the same to a visitor, costs a full page load and is not honoured everywhere.

Worked example

Moving one page

Input: /old-page → https://example.com/new-page, 301, nginx

Output: location = /old-page { return 301 https://example.com/new-page; }

Note: The equals sign makes the match exact: without it the rule also catches /old-page-2 and /old-page/anything. It is the commonest mistake in single-URL nginx redirects.

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Redirect Rule Generator

Result

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