Redirects should stay active as long as old URLs may be accessed. They serve to update search engines and prevent 404 errors. Search engines will eventually update, but direct access may persist due to bookmarks or shared links. It's a myth that too many redirects slow sites down; it's cheap to maintain them. Clean up redirects using the ‘last access' feature, removing those rarely used, but ensure there’s no risk of lost access before deleting. Each site may have unique needs; 404 logs can help manage removed redirects.

How long do I need to keep a redirect for?

Small release, many internal updates; multiple URL/WP page redirects work; translations use WP core.

Redirection 5.5

Release includes fixes and enhanced IP handling:
– No encoding negative lookaheads in regex
– Remove port from server name
– Importing into disabled group sets items as disabled
– Fix saving of x-content-type-options
– Fix multiple spaces in URL saving
– Option to select correct IP header.

Redirection 5.4

Release improves installation, upgrades, and permalink migration. Key changes: enhance installation, expand permalink migration, prevent HTTP code ordering, better URL encoding in Nginx export, support escaped characters in redirect checker, reduce CSV import time.

Redirection 5.3

Redirecting 404s to another page, like the home page, is not advisable. A 404 indicates a non-existent page, which is a valid response. Instead of redirecting, modify your 404 page for better user experience. Redirects should only be for pages that moved, not those that don't exist anymore. Redirecting unrelated pages can harm SEO and confuse users. Use 404 logs to identify actual pages needing redirects rather than automating all 404 responses, as it adds unnecessary complexity.

Redirecting a 404

Release updates HTTP checker: shows all hops, enhances problem detection. Changes include URL checker improvements, query parameter case retention, removal of unnecessary database checks, and PHP 8.1 compatibility.

Redirection 5.2

Redirection 5.1 introduces a PrettyLinks importer, enhances permalink migration, and fixes various issues, including log deletion, .htaccess, and ‘do nothing’ action crashes. Key updates: PrettyLinks importer, improved warnings, permalink migration fix, log deletion issues, .htaccess location fix, and JSON import adjustments.

Redirection 5.1

Redirection 5.0 introduces new features:

• Caching Support: Object cache for improved performance (beta).
• Migrated Permalink Structures: Automatic redirects from old structures (beta).
• Dynamic URL Variables: Shortcodes for runtime data insertion and URL transformations.

Additional improvements include automatic database upgrades, enhanced performance, and bug fixes.

Redirection 5.0