← DictionaryRedirect
also called 301, 302
A rule sending a request for one URL to a different URL.
Old link, new destination.
What It Is
Redirect is a Website item, filed under Structure. The canonical meaning is a rule sending a request for one URL to a different URL.
It is a mechanism rather than an opinion: set up properly it behaves predictably, and set up badly it fails just as predictably. That definition is deliberately narrow — the narrowness is what makes it usable.
How It's Used
Redirect earns its keep in site builds, page structure and the technical decisions underneath them. It rarely travels alone — expect it next to 301 Redirect, 404 Page and URL. The practical test is whether it is configured, documented and actually working.
Why It Matters
The cost of being vague about Redirect shows up later, not today. When it is unclear, the site still launches — it just quietly underperforms. The businesses that treat it seriously spend less time redoing work.
It is a piece of machinery doing one job in the background. Old link, new destination.
Termshift™
How the meaning shifts depending on who is using it, and where.
In agency and in-house rooms, Redirect means exactly a rule sending a request for one URL to a different URL.
In plain conversation it comes out as old link, new destination.
The Bottom Line
Redirect pays off when it is specific and costs you when it is not. Old link, new destination.