What is Web Forwarding?
Web Address Forwarding, also known as Domain Forwarding, can help you accomplish a variety of things. It can protect your brand by registering alternate versions of your primary domain, such as multiple extensions, misspellings, and common typos, and forward that traffic back to your primary site. You can also use it to maintain the structure of your site as it evolves—redirecting an old domain to a new one or forwarding a subdomain or subdirectory to another page on your site.
Moreover, it can be used to help your search engine rankings by forwarding duplicate content back to its originating source. In simple terms, forwarding can make your site more useful. It ensures valuable traffic does not end up on a 404 page, lost to the web. Instead, it directs site visitors to a page that will serve them with the relevant content they are expecting.
Please select an option below to learn more about Web Forwarding.
- What is Web Forwarding?
- Advantages of Using Web Forwarding to My Online Business
- How Do I Configure Web Forwarding?
- How to Delete Web Forwarding
- How to Renew Web Forwarding
- How Can Web Forwarding Help My Online Business?
- How to Forward a Standard URL, Subdomain, or Subdirectory?
- What is the Difference Between a 301 and 302 Redirect?
- What is the Difference Between HTTP and HTTPS?
- Review
What is Web Forwarding?
Web address forwarding, sometimes called domain forwarding, can help you accomplish various objectives. It helps protect your brand when you register variations of your primary domain, such as multiple extensions, misspellings, and regular typos, and direct people back to your main website. By forwarding a subdomain or subfolder to a different page on your website or rerouting an outdated domain to a new one, you can also utilize it to maintain the organization of your website as it evolves.
It can help raise your search engine results by sending duplicate content back to where it came from. In other words, forwarding can make your website more useful. It ensures that valuable visitors don't get lost online and land on a 404 page. Instead, it directs them to a website that offers the relevant and requested material.
Advantages of Using Web Forwarding to My Online Business
There are several ways Web forwarding can be used to benefit an online business.
- Forwarding Misspelled Domain Names
- Forwarding Lengthy Domain Names
- Forwarding Alternate Domain Names
- Forwarding Old Domain Names
Forwarding Misspelled Domain Names
By forwarding domain names, you can take advantage of the frequent spelling errors made by most internet searchers. For example, someone searching for janelsbagels.com might mistakenly search for janesbagles.com or jansbagels.com. By anticipating these inaccurate web addresses and registering several domain names accordingly, you can begin forwarding the domain names that allow you to cast a wider net.
Forwarding Lengthy Domain Names
Long and difficult-to-remember domain names may negatively affect website traffic. Choose a short, memorable domain name that fits your business and use website forwarding, also known as URL masking, to direct traffic to your website. This method ensures that while visitors are directed from a concise URL, your longer, official URL remains visible in their browser’s address bar. This helps maintain your brand identity and improve user recognition.
Forwarding Alternate Domain Names
When registering a domain name, it's always a good idea to register associated web addresses with several extensions, such as .com,.net,.biz,.info, etc. By using web forwarding, you can ensure that these web addresses are referring to your website.
Forwarding Old Domain Names
Forwarding domain names might be helpful for business owners who want to move their websites without losing website traffic. Someone will be directed to your new website URL when they type in your old one. In a similar manner, visitors from other websites that click on a link to your previous domain will be forwarded to your new one.
How Do I Configure Web Forwarding?
To configure web forwarding, follow these steps:
- Log in to your Account Manager via https://www.networksolutions.com/my-account/login.
- On the left side of the page, click on the Domain Name tile.
Important: If you have multiple domain names, see the following steps. If you are using Advanced View, find the domain name that you want to use for web forwarding on the All My Domain Names page. Then, click the vertical ellipsis button
under Actions and click Manage. If you are using Summary View on your domain details page, click Settings.
- On the Domain Details page, scroll down to the bottom part and click on Advanced Tools.
- In the Advanced Tools page, click on the ADD WEB FORWARDING button.
Important: If it's your first time configuring the web forwarding, you will be required to process the purchase after clicking the ADD WEB FORWARDING button and a pop-up page will show.
- To begin the process of web forwarding, select the desired Forwarding Source as shown in the image below. For more information, please check How to Forward a Standard URL, Subdomain, or Subdirectory?
a. When configuring forwarding for the first time, you will only be provided the option to set up a forward on a Standard URL.
b. When setting up subsequent forwards, you will be permitted to set up forwarding on other source types (subdomains, subdirectories, or both). When this is the case, an additional text box(es) will appear upon selection, where you will be asked to specify the subdomain, subdirectory, or both as needed for forwarding.
- Select the proper protocol from the http:// or https:// drop-down (for more information, please see What is the Difference Between HTTP and HTTPS? and enter your Forwarding Destination.
Note: You can preview the forwarding destination by clicking the Preview button next to the field.
- Next, choose a Forward Method (for more information, please see What is the Difference Between a 301 and 302 Redirect?.
- Upon clicking the APPLY button, your new Web Forwarding record will be added to the Manage Web Forwarding table, where you can go on to add new Web Forwarding records or edit existing records.
- Hit SAVE to commit your changes.
You have successfully configured Web Forwarding!
Note: Please allow 4 to 6 hours for changes to update throughout the entire web.
How to Delete Web Forwarding?
- From the Manage Web Forwarding table, click the Pencil icon to open the record.
- Click the Delete button in the upper-right corner.
- You will receive the alert shown below. Tick the checkbox to confirm that you want to continue and click DELETE.
Allow 4 to 6 hours for changes to update throughout the entire web.
How to Renew Web Forwarding
- In the Account Manager, click Domain Name on the left-side page.
Important: If you have multiple domain names, see the following steps. If you are using Advanced View, find the domain name that you want to use for web forwarding on the All My Domain Names page. Then, click the vertical ellipsis button under Actions and click Manage. If you are using Summary View in your domain details page, click Settings.
- Scroll down, and under Advanced Tools, click Renew beside Web Forwarding.
- Proceed to secure checkout.
How Can Web Forwarding Help My Online Business?
There are several ways Web forwarding can be used to benefit an online business.
Forwarding Misspelled Domain Names
By forwarding domain names, you can take advantage of the frequent spelling errors made by most internet searchers. For example, someone searching for janesbagels.com might mistakenly search for janesbagles.com or jansbagels.com. By anticipating these erroneous web addresses and registering several domain names accordingly, you can begin forwarding your domain names, which will allow you to cast a wider net.
Forwarding Lengthy Domain Names
Web addresses that are lengthy and difficult for visitors to remember can hinder website traffic. Choose a concise, catchy domain name that is relevant to your business and redirect it to your website using website forwarding.
Forwarding Alternate Domain Names
When you register a domain name, it is often a smart move to register similar web addresses with alternate extensions (for example: .com, .net, .biz, .info, etc.). Web forwarding helps you ensure that these web addresses are leading to the same place – your website.
Forwarding Old Domain Names
Forwarding domain names can be helpful for business owners who want to move their websites without losing website traffic. Visitors who type in your old web address will be redirected to your new website. In the same way, if someone else's website includes a link to your old domain, those who click will be forwarded to your new website.
How to Forward a Standard URL, Subdomain, or Subdirectory?
Choosing the Standard URL means you wish to redirect the main domain name you are selecting to another destination. (e.g., currentdomainname.com redirects to newdomain.com). This means that if the customer types the currentdomainname.com in the browser, it will forward them to the newdomain.com instead.
Subdomain Forwards
Choosing to forward a Subdomain allows you to redirect a variation of your domain to a new destination URL. (e.g., shop.domainname.com redirects to newdomain.com) This allows you to select the specific version of your domain you wish to forward versus forwarding the Standard URL.
You can use subdomains to host quote forms, mobile sites, different markets, e-commerce stores, and blogs, amongst others. A subdomain gives you the ability to dedicate a separate section of your website without building a new site or confusing your visitors with domain redirections.
Subdirectory Forwards
A Subdirectory, also known as a subfolder, is a folder behind a website address (e.g., domainname.com/store, domainname.com/blog, domainname.com/blog, domainname.com/services, and more). It allows you to redirect a specific page or subsite to a new destination versus the Standard URL or Subdomain.
A subfolder is stored on the very same server of your main domain; therefore, it impacts SEO positively, but also note that rules may change from time to time. Subdirectories are part of your primary domain; thus, it increases the authority and exposure of your website.
Subdomain + Subdirectory Forwards
This allows you to forward a combination of a Subdomain and Subdirectory versus a Standard URL. An example of a subdomain plus a subdirectory would be you choosing to redirect “shop.domainname.com/store” to forward to newdomainname.com).
What is the Difference Between a 301 and 302 Redirect?
To forward your domain name to a different website address, you can use 301/302 redirects by clicking the Select forward method drop-down menu.
301 Redirect Method (Recommended)
A 301 redirect is the preferred method to redirect because it tells users and search engines that your page has been moved permanently. Your website visitors will be redirected to your new page, replacing the old page. With a 301 redirect, all the effort you have invested in building your web presence through Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will be transferred to your new site.
Below are some instances when it is best to use a 301 redirect:
- When transferring a domain
- When you are using different URLs for your site
- When you have changed the domain name of your website permanently
- When you are converting your website from HTTP to HTTPS
302 Redirect Method
When you use a 302 redirect, it will only redirect your users to the new address for a certain period until you remove the redirect. Using this method over 301 redirects can become a problem when the search engine tries to identify which page has a higher value. Note that the search engine will select only one version, which means that the wrong page could end up as the one being listed.
What is the Difference Between HTTP and HTTPS?
The new standard for websites is to have an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate, making the address secure. Using HTTPS vs. HTTP ensures that your data is encrypted when information is exchanged between a browser and a web server. Using HTTPS also improves the trust of your visitors by showing that your site is more legitimate and secure.
If the site you are redirecting to has an SSL, be sure to set the Destination to use HTTPS so your visitors will get to the secure version of the URL you are forwarding to.
Important: You must have an SSL certificate installed to use HTTPS. However, even if you do not have an SSL certificate, web forwarding will still work. HTTPS requests will cause the web browser to display an Insecure Site message. Visitors to the site will need to accept the risk of being redirected to the forwarded site.
Review
Web forwarding, also known as domain/subdomain forwarding, URL forwarding, or website redirect, is a valuable tool that streamlines the user experience by directing visitors from one web address to another. It offers a variety of benefits for businesses, including capturing traffic from misspelled domains, shortening lengthy URLs, managing alternate domain extensions, and ensuring a smooth transition during website migrations. By understanding the different forwarding options (standard URL, subdomain, subdirectory, and combinations) and redirect types (301 permanent vs. 302 temporary), you can leverage web forwarding to optimize your online presence and enhance user satisfaction.
This article has equipped you with the knowledge to confidently set up and manage web forwarding for your website. Remember, for optimal SEO impact and user trust, prioritize 301 redirects and ensure your destination URL utilizes HTTPS whenever possible.