What's the nginx equivalent of an .htaccess 301 redirect?

Nginx doesn't use .htaccess — you edit the server block in the nginx config and use either 'return 301 ;' for a single URL or 'rewrite ^/old/(.*)$ /new/$1 permanent;' for a pattern, then reload nginx with 'sudo nginx -s reload'.

How do I redirect an entire domain with a 301?

In Apache, use a mod_rewrite rule matching all paths (RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://newdomain.com/$1 [R=301,L]). In nginx, use a server block with 'return 301 https://newdomain.com$request_uri;'. Both preserve the path and pass SEO equity to the new domain.

How do I confirm a 301 redirect is working?

Run 'curl -I https://example.com/old-url' and check that the response is 'HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently' with a Location header pointing to the correct destination. You can also use browser dev tools' Network tab, which shows the 301 status and redirect chain.

How to set up a 301 redirect in .htaccess and nginx

Server-level 301 redirects are the fastest, most reliable way to redirect URLs — no plugin overhead. Here are copy-paste examples for both Apache (.htaccess) and nginx, from single URLs to whole-domain rules. Always back up the file first; a syntax error can take the site down.

Apache (.htaccess): redirect a single URL

Using mod_alias, this is the simplest form. Place it in the .htaccess file at your site root:

Redirect 301 /old-page https://example.com/new-page

Apache: redirect a pattern with mod_rewrite

To move an entire directory (or match a pattern) and preserve the rest of the path:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^old-directory/(.*)$ /new-directory/$1 [R=301,L]

Apache: force www → non-www and HTTP → HTTPS

A common canonicalization rule that consolidates all traffic onto the secure apex domain:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off [OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.example\.com [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://example.com/$1 [R=301,L]

Nginx: redirect a single URL

Add this inside the relevant server block, then reload nginx:

location = /old-page {
    return 301 https://example.com/new-page;
}

Nginx: redirect a pattern

Use rewrite ... permanent to move a directory while keeping the sub-path:

rewrite ^/old-directory/(.*)$ /new-directory/$1 permanent;

Nginx: force www → non-www and HTTP → HTTPS

A dedicated server block that 301s all www/insecure traffic to the canonical host:

server {
    listen 80;
    listen 443 ssl;
    server_name www.example.com;
    return 301 https://example.com$request_uri;
}

Test your redirect

After deploying (and reloading nginx with 'sudo nginx -s reload'), confirm the status code and destination from the command line:

curl -I https://example.com/old-page
# Look for: HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently
# and a Location: header pointing to the new URL

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Frequently asked questions

Add the redirect rule to the .htaccess file in your site's root directory. Rules using mod_rewrite should come after 'RewriteEngine On'. Always back up the file first, since a syntax error can return a 500 error for the whole site.