To tell search engines and website visitors that your web page has permanently moved to a new location with an equivalent content use a 301 redirect. The code “301” is interpreted as “moved permanently”. [Learn more about HTTP Status Codes].
The simplest way to redirect to another URL is to use an HTML tag with the http-equiv parameter set to “refresh”. The content attribute sets the delay before the browser redirects the user to the new web page. To redirect immediately, set this parameter to “0” seconds for the content attribute.
If you want your redirection to occur in an exact time, just specify your preferred parameter [in seconds] for the content. Let’s consider an example, where we set "7" seconds as redirection time.
Some browsers don't render the refresh tag correctly, so before the next page loads, the user can see a flash as a page.
Some old browsers don't refresh correctly when you add a quick link. In that case, you can add an anchor link to let the user follow.
Example of redirecting a web page:
Please follow this link.
Learn more about redirecting web pages with JavaScript, PHP, Apache and Node.js.
If you make frequent updates to your business website, you’re probably familiar with redirecting. A redirect essentially tells the user’s browser, “Hey, the content you’re looking for isn’t at this URL. But don’t worry, we’ll send you to the right place.”
here to go to the HubSpot homepage.
This code is a good example of how to write an HTML redirect for a couple of reasons. First, the delay is short enough to not cause too much disruption to the user experience while still providing most users enough time to read the message on-screen.
Second, the message gives users the option to go to the new page immediately. It also gives users an out if the HTML refresh does not work due to browser incompatibility — these visitors can simply click the anchor link to go to the new page.
HTML Redirect Issues and Alternatives
While HTML redirects are the simplest way to implement a redirect, they also present accessibility issues. Some older browsers will not render the tag properly, which results in the old page flashing on-screen before the new page loads [even if you set a delay longer than 0], or the page not refreshing at all.
If you foresee this being a problem for many users, you can set the delay time to 0 and, in case the browser does not automatically load the new page, include an anchor link to the new page in the section as shown in the example above.
To avoid these problems, consider using another redirect method on your website. The most common redirect method today is an HTTP redirect. HTTP redirects are configured on the server hosting the website, and can be either a 301 [permanent] redirect or a 302 [temporary] redirect.
See our guide to setting up 301 redirects for more help here — your process will depend on what specific technologies you use to power your website. For example, if you run a WordPress website, your best bet is to use a WordPress redirect plugin, which will take care of the back-end stuff for you and allows you to manage and track all redirects on your site from your dashboard.
JavaScript redirects are another common alternative, although this requires some knowledge of JavaScript programming and likely more trial-and-error to get right. To learn more about JavaScript redirects, you can refer to this beginner’s tutorial.
HTML Redirects: Send users to the right place.
For situations when you quickly need to direct users from one page to another, HTML redirects come in handy and are a great tool for any website owner to have in their back pocket.
However, this kind of redirect probably shouldn’t be your go-to every time. It’s often better for all users to implement a standard HTTP 301 [permanent] redirect. When in doubt, reach out to your platform support team to get their opinion on what’s best for your users and your SEO.