Do you have a new domain name for your website and you are thinking of how to link the old and the new domain together? Domain forwarding allows you to point one or more domain names to an existing website. This article covers domain forwarding, how to handle it, and why it’s necessary.
How to Set Up Domain Forwarding
Using Site Tools and .htaccess
To manage CNAME records, go to your Site Tools > Domain > DNS Zone Editor as long as your domain is pointed to your SiteGround hosting account.
Using a 301 Permanent Redirect is the most typical method for domain name redirection. Add the following code to your .htaccess file:
Redirect 301 / http://domainB.com/.If you do not have an existing .htaccess file, create a blank file and enter the code above. Save it with the filename .htaccess in the document root of your website.
Domain Forwarding Through Registrars
You can redirect a domain to another domain. The most used is the 301 Forwarding or Forward Only method, which redirects your domain name to another URL and updates the address in the browser location bar.
Purchase any domain and set it to redirect to the website of your choice via your account dashboard at the registrar where you bought/registered your domain. Using a .htaccess file at the root of your old domain can redirect users, update Google’s index, and pass along all your SEO Ranking.
Reasons and Methods for Domain Redirection
Reasons for Redirecting
The main reasons to redirect a domain name are rebranding, consolidating sites, and transferring hosts. Determine whether you want your redirect to be temporary or permanent to choose the correct status code for the transfer.
Without Hosting Solutions
To redirect a domain without hosting, you can use a service like Cloudflare. Redirecting a domain means to forward traffic from one domain to another.
Setting Up Permanent and Temporary Redirects
Permanent 301 Redirect
A 301 permanent redirect forwards all traffic from one domain to another and passes on SEO value. Search engines view this as a permanent change and update their indices accordingly.
Temporary 302 Redirect
A 302 temporary redirect is useful for short-term changes like maintenance or testing new pages. Unlike a 301, a 302 does not pass SEO value.
Using Domain Registrar for Redirection
Go to your domain registrar’s control panel and look for the "Domain Forwarding" or "URL Forward" section. Enter the domain you want to forward and the destination URL. The redirect should start working after DNS propagation.
Cloudflare offers flexibility in redirecting a domain without an active hosting setup.