What Even Are Website Redirects?
Let’s start from an example, have you ever clicked a link only to land on a page that states “404 error, page not found”? This usually happens when a website does not redirect properly due to one not being set up for it. Redirects are kind of like traffic signals for websites. They guide your visitors from one URL to another without confusion.
A website redirect is actually a simple way of sending someone from one web address to another with an intended purpose. So for instance, if you changed the link to a product page, a redirect will make sure that your customers don’t land on a dead end.
There are different types of redirects too. The most common redirect out there is a 301 redirect followed by the 302 redirect. The 301 means that the move that took place is permanent whereas the 302 means that the move is temporary. But don’t worry about memorizing these numbers like they’re math formulas. Just know that they help people find the right stuff when links or pages change.
Redirects also make Google happy. If you don’t use them, search engines may think your site is broken or outdated, and nobody wants that. So yeah, it’s not just about visitors. It’s also about keeping your site clean and crawlable.
Why Should Your Online Store Care About Redirects?
Now if you’re thinking “Okay cool but why should I care?” let’s look at it from a real-world online store perspective.
Let’s say you run an online clothing shop. A bunch of your products go out of stock or you decide to rename a category or move stuff around. That means some old URLs are basically useless now. But guess what? People (and search engines) still try to access them. If there’s no redirect set up, they’re going to land on a 404 page and probably leave your site.
That’s a big problem because nobody has the time or patience to go back and search all over again. If a customer is interested in a product and the page doesn’t work, they’ll bounce and maybe buy it from somewhere else. Redirects make sure that never happens. Instead of seeing an error, they’ll be sent straight to a newer product, updated category, or maybe even your home page.
Also, redirects can protect your SEO. Let’s say for instance that you worked really hard to get your product page to rank top on Google, but then you decide to switch up the URL to make it more readable. If you don’t set up a redirect, all that traffic could disappear overnight. But with proper redirection, Google knows the content just moved—it didn’t vanish.
Another thing. Redirects help with promotions and seasonal campaigns. Say you run flash sales and change the landing page every month. Instead of changing links everywhere, just use a single redirect path and point it wherever you need. Clean, easy, and way less messy than chasing links down across your whole site.
How Do You Even Add Redirects to a WooCommerce Store?
Okay, so you’re probably wondering—how do I actually set these up? Don’t worry, you don’t have to learn to code or dig around in files you’ve never even seen before.
One easy way to do this is with plugins made for redirecting. There are a bunch of good ones, but one that’s super handy is the WooCommerce redirect after login plugin. It lets you set up redirects depending on who’s logging in. Like, you could send your regular customers to their order history page and send wholesale users to their own category section. So everyone lands exactly where they need to go the second they log in. You’re basically saving them clicks and time and that always feels good.
There are also plugins like Redirection, which helps you manage 301 redirects and track 404 errors, and Simple 301 Redirects which is great if you just want to do a few quick changes without digging too deep.
Some of these plugins even let you redirect users based on their role. That means your admin can be sent to the dashboard, sellers to their product area, and customers to a promo page. It’s actually fun once you start setting it up because it feels like you’re customizing your store for each user.
If you’re using WooCommerce, a plugin that connects login behavior to redirects is like gold. Especially if you have a lot of returning customers or account types. It’s not just about sending someone to the homepage anymore. It’s about giving them a shortcut to what they need most.
Where Can Redirects Be Set Up and Is It Hard?
So here’s the deal with setting things up. It can feel a little confusing at first but once you’ve installed the plugin, most of them walk you through it. You’ll get a section in your dashboard where you just enter the old URL and the new URL. Some plugins let you do bulk edits too which saves a lot of time.
You can set up redirects pretty much anywhere. Some common places include:
- Homepage – like when someone logs in or after checkout
- Product pages – in case a product is no longer available
- Category pages – if you’ve merged or renamed categories
- Login and registration pages – especially for different user types
And don’t stress if you mess up a redirect. Most plugins let you edit or delete them anytime. Plus, some even show stats so you know if people are actually using them.
Final Thoughts
Redirects might sound like some boring technical thing you don’t really need to care about but honestly they’re kind of essential. Whether it’s about keeping your users happy or keeping your store searchable on Google, a proper redirection setup is just smart.
Start small. Pick a plugin that does the job without being overwhelming. The WooCommerce redirect after login plugin is a solid one to try. Just make sure whatever you choose, it gives you the control you need without making everything too complicated.
Once you get used to the setup, you’ll wonder how you even ran your store without redirects. Because yeah, in the world of online shopping, no one likes hitting dead ends.