Using URL Manager

This guide is for editors who keep links working and owners deciding how to handle moved pages. Every step uses the labels you see on screen.

Using URL Manager (editor how-to)

How to create a redirect

1. Go to URL Manager.
2. Click Add redirect.
3. Enter the source URL and choose Permanent move, Temporary move, or Gone. Enter a destination for a move; Gone needs no destination.
4. Save. New redirects are active, match the exact URL and preserve query strings by default.

Open Advanced to choose an exact status code (301, 302, 307, 308 or 410), prefix/regex matching, priority, inactive status, query-string handling or notes. Permanent and temporary moves default to 301 and 302; Gone uses 410. Editing a scoped redirect retains its site and language.

How to check your redirects are working

1. Go to URL Manager and review the list of redirects.
2. The default table shows Route, Outcome (including active/inactive status), and Activity. Use the column selector for match type, priority, separate destination/status columns and the exact last-hit time.
3. Use this view to confirm URL Manager is installed and tracking redirect health before any SEO clean-up work.

How to fix a link that moved

1. Find the old address under 404 opportunities or create a redirect directly.
2. Use Convert to redirect to point it at the correct page.
3. Test the old link to confirm it now lands in the right place.

How to import many redirects at once

1. Open Import and export and use Download template for the CSV format.
2. Choose Import redirects, upload a file or paste CSV, then continue to Review and resolve. No rules have been written yet.
3. Review the new and updated routes. If rows need attention, go back to Upload, correct or remove those rows in the CSV, then review again. An invalid row blocks the entire import; no rows are silently skipped.
4. Continue to Apply and select Apply reviewed import. Updates replace the existing matching rules. A changed CSV or competing rule invalidates the review, so review again before applying.
5. If the rules were imported but cache refresh is pending, use Retry cache refresh on the redirects list. This retries only cache invalidation, without importing the rows again.

For a small migration, start with these three rows beneath the template headings:

source_url	target_url	status_code	match_type	preserve_query
/old-pricing	/pricing	301	exact	true
/legacy-docs/	/docs/	308	prefix	true
/retired-campaign		410	exact	false

The final row intentionally has no target because HTTP 410 marks the old campaign as permanently gone.

How to export your redirects

1. In URL Manager, open Import and export and choose Export redirects.
2. Save the file as a backup or to review your redirects in a spreadsheet.

Rolling out URL Manager (for owners)

Turn on first

• Redirects for any moved or renamed pages. Before or right after a site change, redirect old URLs so no links break.

Add when needed

Need	Enable
Recover visitors from dead links	404 opportunities to redirect
Migrate many URLs at once	Import redirects from a spreadsheet

Don’t enable yet

• Don’t create redirects you don’t need. Each one is a rule to maintain. Add them when a page actually moves.

Who does what

Role	First useful screen
Editor	Add redirect and 404 opportunities
Site owner	The Redirects list: keep it tidy and loop-free

Troubleshooting for editors

What you see	What it means	What to do
A redirect isn’t working	It isn’t active	Open it and Activate redirect
The page keeps reloading or errors	A redirect loop (two redirects point at each other)	Remove one side of the loop so the chain ends at a real page
A bulk import didn’t apply	The file format was wrong, or preview wasn’t confirmed	Fix the CSV, review it again, then Apply reviewed import
Visitors still hit a 404	The old URL has no redirect yet	Find it in 404 opportunities and add a redirect