How to Redirect a Domain on Hostinger (2026 Step-by-Step Guide)

Have you purchased a new domain and want visitors to reach it when they enter your old website address? Or perhaps you want to send visitors from a short domain to a specific page on another website. You can do this by creating a domain redirect.

Hostinger provides redirect options through hPanel, making it possible to send visitors from one domain or URL to another without asking them to enter the new address manually. You can also configure redirects using an .htaccess file if you need more control over individual pages or URL paths.

1. What Is a Domain Redirect?

A domain redirect is a process that automatically sends visitors from one web address to another. Instead of showing an error or asking visitors to search for a new website, the browser takes them to the destination address.

For example, suppose you originally used:

https://oldwebsite.com

Later, you purchase a new domain:

https://newwebsite.com

You can create a redirect so that anyone visiting the old domain is automatically sent to the new website.

In this situation:

• Source domain: The original domain visitors enter.
• Destination URL: The website or page visitors should reach.
• Redirect rule: The instruction that sends the visitor to the destination.

Redirects can be configured for an entire domain, a specific URL path, or selected pages. The method you choose depends on your hosting setup and the result you want.

2. Why Would You Need to Redirect a Domain?

Domain redirection is useful in several situations. It helps visitors find the correct website even when you change your domain name, restructure your website, or stop using an old URL.

1. Moving to a new domain

If your business changes its name or branding, you may purchase a new domain. Redirecting the old domain helps existing visitors reach the new website without needing to remember the new address.

2. Combining multiple domains

You may own several domain names but want to operate only one main website. You can redirect the additional domains to your primary website.

3. Changing a website URL

If you change a page address or move content to a different location, you can redirect the old URL to the updated page. This helps visitors who use old bookmarks or links from other websites.

4. Fixing outdated links

If an important page has moved, redirecting its previous address can prevent visitors from reaching a broken page.

5. Sending visitors to a campaign page

You may own a short promotional domain and want it to send visitors to a specific landing page on your main website.

3. Understand 301 and 302 Redirects

Before creating a redirect, you need to choose the correct redirect type. The two commonly used HTTP redirect statuses are 301 and 302.

What is a 301 redirect?

A 301 redirect indicates that a page or domain has permanently moved to a new address.

For example, if you have permanently moved your website from oldwebsite.com to newwebsite.com, a 301 redirect tells browsers and search engines that the new address should be used instead.

Use a 301 redirect when:

• You permanently change your website's domain name.
• You move a page to a new URL and no longer use the old one.
• You consolidate multiple websites into one primary domain.
• You permanently change a URL structure.

What is a 302 redirect?

A 302 redirect indicates that the destination change is temporary. It tells browsers and search engines that the original URL may be used again later.

Use a 302 redirect when:

• You temporarily send visitors to a maintenance page.
• You are testing a different landing page.
• You temporarily move visitors during a short-term campaign.
• You expect to restore the original destination later.

4. Things to Check Before Redirecting Your Domain

Before creating a redirect, check a few important details. This will help you avoid redirect loops, broken websites, and problems with email services.

1. Confirm domain ownership

You must have access to the domain you want to redirect. If the domain belongs to another person or organization, you will need the appropriate access to its DNS or hosting settings.

2. Confirm your hosting setup

Find out whether your domain is:

• Connected to a Hostinger hosting plan.
• Registered with Hostinger but not connected to a hosting plan.
• Using external nameservers such as Cloudflare.
• Connected to a Hostinger AI Builder website.

This matters because Hostinger provides different redirect options for different domain configurations.

3. Choose the destination URL

Decide exactly where visitors should go. Enter the full destination URL, including the protocol, such as https://.

For example:

https://newwebsite.com
https://newwebsite.com/about/
https://newwebsite.com/contact/

4. Back up your website

If you plan to change redirect rules through the .htaccess file, create a backup first. An incorrect rule can prevent your website from loading properly.

5. Check your email configuration

Redirecting website visitors does not automatically move your email service to the destination domain. If you use email addresses such as [email protected], check your existing MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records before changing nameservers or domain settings.

5. How to Redirect a Domain on Hostinger Using hPanel

If your domain is connected to a Hostinger hosting plan, you can use the built-in Redirects tool in hPanel. This is usually the easiest method because you do not need to edit server configuration files manually.

https://newwebsite.com

Hostinger's official instructions: How to Set Up a Redirect in Hostinger.

6. How to Redirect a Domain on Hostinger Without a Hosting Plan

You do not always need to purchase a hosting plan to redirect a domain. If you have purchased a domain through Hostinger but are not using a hosting package, you may be able to use Hostinger's domain forwarding feature.

This is useful when you own a domain name that you want to send to an existing website, social media profile, or another online destination.

Follow these steps:

Hostinger's documentation explains that this option is available for domains using Hostinger nameservers. If your domain uses external nameservers, configure the redirect through the DNS provider that manages those nameservers.

Official guide: How to Redirect a Domain Without a Hosting Plan at Hostinger.

7. How to Redirect a Domain Using the .htaccess File

If you need more control over redirects, you can configure them using the .htaccess file. This method is useful for Apache-based hosting environments and allows you to create rules for specific domains and URL paths.

Use this method only if your hosting environment supports .htaccess. Hostinger's File Manager or an FTP client can be used to access the website files.

Step 1: Open File Manager

1. Log in to your Hostinger account.
2. Open the Websites section.
3. Manage the relevant website.
4. Open File Manager.
5. Navigate to the public_html directory.

Step 2: Find the .htaccess file

Look for the .htaccess file in the public_html directory.

If you cannot see it, check whether hidden files are displayed in File Manager. If the file does not exist, confirm that you are editing the correct website directory before creating one.

Step 3: Back up the file

Before editing, download a copy of the existing .htaccess file or save its current contents somewhere safe.

Step 4: Add the 301 redirect rules

To redirect an old domain to a new domain while keeping the same URL path, use the following example:

RewriteEngine On

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

Replace mydomain.com with your original domain and targetdomain.com with your destination domain.

For example, a visitor opening:

https://mydomain.com/about/

will be redirected to:

https://targetdomain.com/about/

Step 5: Save the file and test the redirect

Save the changes and open your original domain in a browser. Test both the root domain and a few individual paths to confirm that they reach the correct destination.

How to create a 302 redirect using .htaccess

If the move is temporary, change the redirect status in the rule from R=301 to R=302.

RewriteEngine On

RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^mydomain\.com$ [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.mydomain\.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://targetdomain.com/$1 [L,R=302,NC]

Use the 302 version only when the destination is temporary.

Reference: Hostinger's guide to redirecting a domain.

8. How to Redirect a Specific URL or Page

Sometimes you do not want to redirect an entire domain. You may only want to redirect one old page to a new page while leaving the rest of your website unchanged.

For example, suppose your old website has this page:

https://example.com/old-services/

But the updated page is:

https://example.com/services/

You can create a redirect that sends visitors from the old page to the new page.

Using the Hostinger Redirects tool

If your hosting dashboard supports path-based redirects, enter the relevant path in the /path field and specify the destination URL.

Using .htaccess

You can also create a page-specific 301 redirect using this example:

RewriteEngine On
Redirect 301 /old-services/ https://example.com/services/

This rule redirects requests for the old page to the new destination.

For multiple page changes, add separate rules and check each one carefully. Always redirect to the closest relevant replacement rather than sending every outdated page to the homepage.

9. How to Remove an Existing Redirect on Hostinger

If you no longer need a redirect, you can remove it from the same place where you created it.

Remove a redirect through hPanel

1. Log in to your Hostinger account.
2. Open Websites and manage the relevant website.
3. Find and open the Redirects section.
4. Locate the redirect you want to remove in the list.
5. Click the trash bin or delete option next to that redirect.
6. Confirm the action if prompted.

After removing the redirect, the original domain will stop using that redirect rule and will follow its existing website or DNS configuration.

Remove a redirect from .htaccess

If you created the redirect manually, open the website's .htaccess file and remove only the relevant redirect rule.

Save the file and test the original URL again. Keep a backup of the file in case another website function depends on the rules you changed.

10. How to Test Whether Your Domain Redirect Works

After creating a redirect, test it instead of assuming it is working correctly. A redirect can be configured but still send visitors to the wrong page or produce an error.

1. Open the original domain

Enter the old domain in your browser and check whether it reaches the destination you selected.

2. Test the www and non-www versions

If your domain supports both versions, test:

https://example.com
https://www.example.com

Check whether both versions behave as expected. If only one redirects, review your redirect configuration and domain setup.

3. Test individual page paths

If you created path-specific redirects or want to preserve URL paths, test several old page URLs to confirm they reach the correct new pages.

4. Check the HTTP status code

You can use a redirect checker to inspect the HTTP response and identify whether your domain is returning a 301, 302, or another status.

Useful tools include:

• HTTPStatus.io – Inspect HTTP status codes and redirect chains.
• WhereGoes – Follow a URL through its redirect chain.
• DNSChecker – Check DNS records and propagation.

5. Test on another browser or device

Your browser may cache a previous redirect. Test using another browser or a private browsing window to rule out a local cache issue.

11. Common Hostinger Domain Redirect Problems and Solutions

Sometimes a redirect does not work immediately after configuration. The following table covers common symptoms and what to check.

Fix a redirect loop

A redirect loop occurs when the source URL and destination URL keep sending visitors to each other.

For example:

oldwebsite.com → newwebsite.com
newwebsite.com → oldwebsite.com

This creates an endless cycle, and browsers eventually show an error.

To fix it:

1. Review the redirect rules on the original domain.
2. Check whether the destination domain has another rule sending visitors back.
3. Check for conflicting rules in .htaccess, WordPress plugins, or CDN settings.
4. Remove the conflicting rule and keep one clear destination.
5. Test the redirect again.

Fix an HTTPS redirect problem

If you want your domain to redirect to an HTTPS destination, make sure the source domain has a valid SSL certificate installed and configured where required.

Hostinger specifically advises installing SSL before creating a redirect to HTTPS through its hosting Redirects tool.

Related guide: How to Install an SSL Certificate on Hostinger.

How long does a Hostinger redirect take to work?

For a domain redirect without a hosting plan, Hostinger says the redirect usually starts working in about one hour, although it may take up to 48 hours in some cases.

For DNS-based changes, propagation can take time depending on caching and DNS configuration. Do not repeatedly recreate the same redirect while waiting for an update.

12. How Do Domain Redirects Affect SEO?

Redirects are important when changing domain names or moving website content because they help visitors and search engines find the new location of a page.

When configured correctly, permanent redirects help search engines understand that the original URL has moved to a replacement URL.

Use 301 redirects for permanent website migrations

If you permanently move your website to a new domain, use 301 redirects to send old URLs to their corresponding new URLs.

This helps preserve the connection between old and new content and can help transfer ranking signals. However, it does not guarantee that your previous search rankings or traffic will remain unchanged.

Redirect old pages to relevant new pages

A common mistake is redirecting every old page to the homepage. This may confuse visitors and search engines when the homepage is not a relevant replacement for the original content.

For example:

Update internal links and sitemaps

After migrating to a new domain, update internal website links so they point directly to the new URLs instead of relying on redirects.

Also update your XML sitemap and submit the appropriate sitemap for the new website through Google Search Console.

Avoid unnecessary redirect chains

A redirect chain occurs when visitors pass through multiple redirects before reaching the final destination.

For example:

old.com → intermediate.com → new.com

Whenever possible, update the original redirect so that it points directly to the final destination.

13. Frequently Asked Questions

Editorial note: Hostinger dashboard labels and redirect options may vary depending on the domain, hosting plan, and website type. Always check your current hPanel interface and back up existing configuration files before making manual changes.