What are Redirect Rules? | Latino Web Studio

Redirect failures that harm users, SEO, or security

Redirect rules solve a common problem: URLs change. Users and crawlers still request old URLs.

Without redirects, old links lead to 404 errors. Redirects also control duplicate URLs for the same content. Without control, search engines may split ranking signals across URL variants.

Missing or conflicting redirects cause loops, chains, and soft 404s. Users may land on the homepage instead of a relevant replacement. This increases bounce rates and breaks attribution.

SEO suffers when redirects waste crawl budget and slow crawling. Rankings can drop when duplicates compete. Chains also add latency for users and bots.

Redirects support security and compliance. Sites must force HTTPS, retire endpoints, block unsafe paths, or move sensitive areas. Scattered rules create conflicts and risky deployments.

Redirect rules: what they are in HTTP

A redirect rule maps a request to a new destination. The rule checks scheme, host, path, and query string. Some rules also check method or headers.

In HTTP, a redirect uses a 3xx status code. The response includes a Location header with the new URL. Clients then request the Location URL.

Most sites use server-side redirects. CDNs, proxies, and apps can apply them. Client-side redirects rely on HTML or JavaScript and weaken reliability.

Server-side redirects run before content loads. They work for any resource type. They also send clear signals to crawlers.

Permanent redirects tell clients to replace the old URL over time. Temporary redirects keep the old URL valid. This choice affects caching and indexing.

How redirect rules match requests and build targets

Rules match requests by exact paths or patterns. Wildcards and regular expressions cover many URLs. Captures can reuse path parts in the target.

Rules can normalize hosts and schemes. For example, redirect https://prodigyfd.com/ to https://prodigydevelopmentcenter.com/. Redirect HTTP to HTTPS.

Rules can require query parameters. Query handling must stay explicit. Some systems keep queries by default, and others drop them.

Preserve queries for campaigns and tracking. Drop queries that create duplicates or leak sensitive data. State this choice in each rule.

Order controls results because most engines stop at the first match. Place specific rules before broad patterns. Avoid conflicts across layers.

Rules can redirect or rewrite. Redirects change the URL shown to the client. Rewrites serve different content without changing the visible URL.

Target design must avoid loops and chains. A loop redirects back to an earlier URL. A chain adds extra hops from one URL to the next.

Build the final canonical target in one step. Normalize host, scheme, path, and trailing slash rules together. This reduces loops and chains.

Status codes and caching that change behavior

301 and 308 mark permanent redirects. 302 and 307 mark temporary redirects. 307 and 308 preserve method and body.

Some clients change 301 and 302 requests into GET. This can break forms and APIs. Use 307 or 308 when method preservation matters.

Use 301 for stable page moves. Use 302 for short campaigns or maintenance. Use 308 for permanent API moves that require method preservation.

Use 307 for temporary API moves that require method preservation. Keep redirects to one hop. Chains increase latency and reduce crawl efficiency.

Caches often store permanent redirects for a long time. A wrong permanent redirect can persist for users. Temporary redirects reduce this risk.

HTTP to HTTPS redirects interact with HSTS. HSTS upgrades requests before the client connects. Misconfigurations then hurt more users.

Pick one rule for trailing slashes. Pick one rule for default documents. Conflicts cause loops and duplicate indexing.

Where redirect rules live in the stack

Redirect rules can run at the edge, proxy, or app. Edge rules run closest to the user. They usually reduce latency.

Edge changes affect all traffic fast. They also protect origins by enforcing HTTPS and canonical hosts. Proxy rules centralize control for multiple services.

App rules use business context. They cost more compute. They may miss static asset requests handled elsewhere.

Redirects interact with routing and middleware. Authentication, locale routing, and A/B testing can change paths and hosts. Multi-domain sites often need host-based redirects.

International sites may redirect by host, path prefix, or language headers. Static hosting and serverless platforms may limit rule complexity. Monoliths support complex logic but can hide chains.

Implement redirect rules safely

Choose between a redirect and a rewrite. Use redirects when the canonical URL must change. Use rewrites when the visible URL must stay.

Keep canonical tags and sitemaps aligned with the intended canonical URL. Choose a status code based on permanence and method needs. Prefer 307 or 308 for APIs and forms.

Keep rules minimal and non-overlapping. Put specific rules above broad patterns. Avoid catch-alls that hide real 404s.

Define one canonical URL policy. Decide on www versus apex, HTTP versus HTTPS, and trailing slash rules. Enforce the policy in one step to prevent chains.

Handle queries with intent. Preserve only needed parameters. Drop or rewrite the rest.

Test before and after rollout. Check loops, chains, and wrong targets. Validate POST and authenticated flows.

Roll out with staging when possible. Use canary releases or limited exposure. Monitor logs, redirect rates, 404 rates, and top targets.