Is a page moving to a different web address, or are you replacing an old website with a new one? With a redirect you automatically send visitors and Google from the old address to the new one. That way nobody ends up on a dead-end 'page not found' (404).

Why does this matter?

Especially with a new website this is indispensable: the old addresses are often still in Google, in newsletters or on other sites. Without a redirect they return a 404 error — bad for visitors and for your position in Google. With a redirect all those old links keep working and you keep your place in the search results.

When do you use it?

• You replace an old website with a new one
• You rename or move a page
• You want a short, easy link to forward to a longer page

How to ask the assistant

Redirect /old-page/ to /new-page/.