.htaccess & nginx Redirect Generator

Generate redirect rules without the syntax headaches

Add your old and new paths, pick 301 or 302, and this tool generates copy-ready redirect rules for both Apache (.htaccess) and nginx. It's perfect for a site migration, a URL restructure, or cleaning up legacy links — get the exact config syntax right the first time instead of wrestling with RewriteRule escaping.

301 vs 302 — choose carefully

A 301 is a permanent redirect: it tells browsers and search engines the resource has moved for good, and it passes most of the old URL's SEO value to the new one. Use it for migrations and permanent URL changes. A 302 is temporary: the original URL is expected to return, so search engines keep indexing the old location. Using a 302 for a permanent move is a common SEO mistake — it can prevent the new URL from ranking.

Apache vs nginx

Apache reads .htaccess files per directory, so you can drop redirect rules in without touching the main config — convenient on shared hosting. The generated rules use mod_rewrite with the R=301/R=302 flag. nginx doesn't use per-directory files; redirects live in a server block and use a location with return, which is fast and explicit. Copy whichever matches your stack.

Tips for a clean migration

• Redirect to the final destination directly — avoid chains where one redirect points to another.
• Keep redirects to a single hop; long chains slow page loads and dilute SEO value.
• Update internal links to point at the new URLs too, rather than relying on redirects forever.
• Test each rule after deploying — a typo in a path can send users to a 404.

Before you deploy

Make sure your source and destination paths are encoded correctly with the URL encoder, and if you're matching dynamic patterns, prototype them with the regex tester first.