🔄 301, 302, 307, 410 redirect types

🔍 Automatic 404 error detection and logging

🌐 Regex and wildcard redirect support

📂 Bulk import/export (CSV or .htaccess)

⚡ Performance: PHP vs. server-level redirects

📊 Redirect logging and analytics

🛠️ Compatibility with your permalink structure

🔗 Auto-redirect on post/page slug change

Best Overall (Free)

Redirection by John Godley is the definitive free redirect plugin for WordPress — the most downloaded redirect solution on WordPress.org with over 2 million active installs and a development history spanning more than fifteen years. Its longevity is a direct reflection of its reliability: it does exactly what it promises, without bloat, and has been consistently updated to remain compatible with current WordPress versions.

The plugin’s 404 error log is one of its most valuable features. Every request to a URL that returns a 404 is recorded with the source URL (the page that contained the broken link), the referring page, and the time of the error. This makes it straightforward to identify which broken URLs are generating the most errors and prioritise which redirects to create first — invaluable after a site migration or redesign.

Redirection supports all common HTTP redirect codes — 301 (permanent), 302 (temporary), 307 (temporary redirect preserving request method), 308, 401, 403, 404, and 410 (gone). Its regex-based redirect rules allow a single rule to handle hundreds of similar URL patterns, making it genuinely scalable for large sites. Conditional redirect rules based on login status, browser type, IP address, referrer, and URL parameters add a level of targeting that few competing plugins provide.

Standout Features

• Full 404 error log with source, referrer, and timestamp
• Regex support for pattern-based redirect rules covering multiple URLs
• Conditional redirects based on login status, browser, IP, and referrer
• Auto-redirect when a post or page slug is changed in WordPress
• Import/export in CSV and JSON formats; .htaccess import and export
• Redirect groups for organising large redirect sets by category or project
• PHP and server-level (Apache/Nginx) redirect method options

Best Free SEO Suite Option

Rank Math SEO includes a dedicated Redirections module that is fully functional in the free version — making it the most capable free 301 redirect plugin WordPress available as part of a broader SEO toolkit. For sites already using Rank Math for on-page SEO, enabling the Redirections module adds a complete redirect management system without installing any additional plugin.

The Redirections module supports 301, 302, 307, 308, 410, and 451 redirect types, with optional regex support that can be enabled per-rule. Rank Math automatically creates a redirect whenever you change a post or page URL, logging the old slug and redirecting to the new one without any manual action required. This auto-redirect feature alone saves significant time on active blogs and content sites where URLs evolve over time.

Import and export capabilities allow you to move redirect sets between sites or from the Redirection plugin using a standard CSV format. The redirect list interface within the Rank Math admin is clean and fast, with search and filter options that scale reasonably well for lists of several hundred redirects. For very large redirect sets (thousands of rules), the standalone Redirection plugin’s dedicated interface and grouping features offer slightly better management ergonomics.

• Included free in Rank Math — no separate plugin required
• Automatic redirect on slug change for posts and pages
• Supports 301, 302, 307, 308, 410, and 451 redirect codes
• Optional regex support on a per-rule basis
• Import from Redirection plugin CSV format
• 404 monitor with redirect creation directly from error log

Best for Yoast Users

Yoast SEO Premium includes a Redirect Manager that handles the most common redirect scenarios with minimal configuration. Its greatest practical advantage is seamless integration with the Yoast SEO post editor: whenever you change a page or post URL in WordPress, Yoast immediately prompts you to create a redirect from the old URL — a workflow that prevents the vast majority of 404 errors on active content sites before they ever occur.

The Redirect Manager supports 301, 302, 307, 308, 410, and 451 status codes and allows regex-based redirect patterns for more complex URL matching. Redirects can be managed both from within the individual post editor and from a centralized redirect management screen. For sites running Yoast SEO Premium already, the Redirect Manager adds meaningful value without requiring any additional plugin investment.

Compared to the standalone Redirection plugin, Yoast’s Redirect Manager has fewer advanced features — no conditional redirect logic based on browser or login status, no detailed hit logging per redirect rule, and no redirect grouping. For sites with simple redirect needs and an existing Yoast Premium licence, it’s perfectly adequate. For complex redirect architectures or migration projects, Redirection or Rank Math offer more control.

Best Beginner-Friendly

The “301 Redirects — Easy Redirect Manager” plugin lives up to its name. As a 301 redirect wp plugin designed for non-technical WordPress users, it offers the most intuitive interface of any tool in this comparison: a single admin screen where you type the old URL path, the new destination URL, choose a redirect type, and save. There’s no learning curve to speak of.

The free version handles standard 301 and 302 redirects with a clean, searchable list. The Pro version adds wildcard redirects (using an asterisk to match multiple URLs with a single rule), redirect import via CSV, 404 error tracking, and the ability to add redirect notes for documentation purposes. For small business sites, freelancers managing client websites, and bloggers who periodically reorganise their content, this plugin provides all the redirect management they’ll realistically need.

One practical advantage over the Redirection plugin for beginners is the visual distinction between active and inactive redirects, and the clear status indicators in the redirect list. Non-technical site owners who aren’t comfortable with regex or conditional logic appreciate the straightforward approach — and the Pro tier’s wildcard feature covers most pattern-matching use cases without requiring any regex knowledge.

Best Developer-Friendly

Safe Redirect Manager, developed by 10up — one of the most reputable WordPress agency and plugin development teams — takes a deliberately minimal approach. It stores redirects as a custom post type in the WordPress database, which makes them manageable through the standard WordPress interface and compatible with version-controlled deployments, multisite networks, and post-revision tracking.

Using the native WordPress custom post type architecture for redirect storage means developers can programmatically create and manage redirects using standard WordPress API functions — a significant advantage for agency projects where redirect rules need to be imported, seeded, or managed as part of a deployment pipeline. Redirect rules can be exported via WP-CLI commands, making them compatible with DevOps workflows that other plugins don’t support.

Safe Redirect Manager supports 301, 302, 303, 307, and 403 status codes, regex-based matching, and wildcard redirects. It intentionally avoids 404 logging and analytics features — keeping the plugin lean and focused. For enterprise WordPress environments, government sites, and any organisation running structured deployment workflows, Safe Redirect Manager’s approach aligns with professional development practices in a way that more consumer-oriented plugins don’t.

Best for AIOSEO Users

All in One SEO Pro includes a Redirects Manager addon in its Elite and Pro plans, adding a complete redirect in wordpress plugin workflow to the established AIOSEO platform. The AIOSEO Redirects addon handles 301, 302, 307, 308, 401, 403, 404, and 410 status codes, with full regex support and a 404 logs tab that surfaces broken URL patterns across your site.

The interface integrates naturally with the AIOSEO admin design, making it feel like a native part of your SEO management workflow rather than a bolted-on addition. When you change a URL in WordPress, AIOSEO automatically detects the old URL and creates a redirect to the new slug — with an optional confirmation prompt that keeps the process transparent.

For WooCommerce sites using AIOSEO, the redirect system handles product and category URL changes cleanly, capturing old e-commerce URLs in the 404 log and making it straightforward to create redirects to replacement products or updated category pages. Bulk actions in the redirect list allow multiple redirect rules to be enabled, disabled, or deleted simultaneously — a practical timesaver for managing large redirect sets.

Best Lightweight Option

Simple 301 Redirects is as minimal as its name suggests — a completely free, zero-configuration plugin that adds a single settings screen where you enter old URLs and their redirect destinations. No dashboard, no logs, no analytics, no conditional logic. Just a clean, two-column table of redirect rules that processes every request at the WordPress level.

For blogs, portfolio sites, and small business websites that occasionally need to redirect a handful of old URLs, this is precisely the right level of complexity. The plugin has been actively maintained for over a decade, works reliably with all standard WordPress setups, and adds minimal overhead to your site. Its add-on plugin, Simple 301 Redirects — Addon — Bulk Uploader, extends the base plugin with CSV import capability for when you need to add many redirects simultaneously.

Simple 301 Redirects does not support regex-based patterns, wildcard matching, or conditional redirect logic — it handles direct URL-to-URL mappings only. For sites with simple, predictable redirect needs, this limitation is a feature rather than a flaw: less complexity means fewer configuration errors and faster admin performance.

Best with Analytics

WP 301 Redirects is a capable wp redirect plugin that combines standard redirect management with a meaningful analytics layer — tracking how many times each redirect has been triggered over time, which pages are generating the most 404 errors, and which redirects have never been used (candidates for cleanup). This data-oriented approach is particularly useful for site managers who want evidence that their redirect strategy is working.

The plugin supports 301, 302, 307, and 308 redirects, regex-based pattern matching, and wildcard source URLs. Its smart 404 error handler monitors all 404 errors and presents them with hit counts and referrer data, making it straightforward to identify the most impactful missing redirects. The interface is clean and modern, with a well-designed admin screen that works comfortably on larger redirect sets.

WP 301 Redirects Pro extends the base plugin with external redirect monitoring (checking that destinations return valid responses), redirect chains detection, whitelabel capability for agencies, and multi-site support. For digital marketing teams and SEO consultants who want accountability data on their redirect management alongside the redirect rules themselves, WP 301 Redirects provides a compelling package.

Best for Custom Permalinks

Permalink Manager Lite takes a different approach from every other plugin in this list — rather than managing redirect rules reactively (old URL → new URL), it gives you proactive control over your entire permalink structure. You can set custom, individual URLs for any post, page, product, or custom post type entry, and Permalink Manager automatically handles all old URL redirects behind the scenes as your custom URLs are implemented.

This is particularly powerful for WooCommerce stores, where product URLs often follow template patterns that result in long, keyword-poor URLs. Permalink Manager allows you to customise product slugs freely, creates automatic redirects from old canonical URLs, and maintains the redirect chain even as URLs are updated multiple times. For SEO-focused e-commerce sites working to improve URL structure without breaking existing rankings, this tool is uniquely well-suited.

The Pro version adds bulk edit capabilities, redirect mode options, Yoast SEO and Rank Math integration for translated permalink support, and a find-and-replace tool for URL restructuring at scale. Permalink Manager approaches redirect management from a URL architecture perspective rather than a reactive error-fixing perspective — making it complementary to rather than competitive with a dedicated redirect plugin.

Best with Wildcard Focus

The SEO Redirection Plugin is a robust wordpress redirect plugins option that emphasises wildcard and regex capabilities in a more accessible interface than the Redirection plugin’s power-user setup. It supports 301, 302, 307, and 410 redirect types, wildcard source matching using asterisk patterns, and optional regex rules for advanced users — providing a middle ground between Simple 301 Redirects (too basic for complex needs) and Redirection (more complex than some users need).

The 404 error tracking module logs all 404 errors with hit counts, and allows you to create a redirect for any logged 404 URL with a single click from the error log screen. This “one-click redirect from 404 log” workflow is particularly efficient for site managers doing periodic redirect maintenance rather than real-time monitoring.

The plugin’s Pro version adds multi-site support, advanced reporting, auto-redirect on category and tag permalink changes (not just post slugs), and a Google Analytics integration that can annotate redirect events in your GA4 data. For content sites with significant category and tag taxonomy structures where taxonomy URL changes occur regularly, this automatic taxonomy redirect feature saves manual effort.

301

Moved Permanently

The most important redirect type for SEO. Tells search engines the content has permanently moved to the new URL, transferring link equity. Use for: restructured URLs, merged pages, domain migrations.

302

Found (Temporary)

A temporary redirect that does not transfer link equity. Use sparingly and only for genuinely temporary situations: A/B testing, maintenance mode, short-term promotional pages.

307

Temporary Redirect

Similar to 302 but strictly preserves the HTTP method of the original request. Rarely needed for standard WordPress use cases. More relevant for API redirects and form-based workflows.

410

Gone

Tells search engines the content is permanently gone with no replacement. Use when: a page has been deleted with no relevant destination, outdated product pages, removed categories. Faster de-indexing than a 404.