Namecheap Redirects 2026 — 301, 302 and URL Forwarding Setup Guide

By Alex Morgan | Last updated: May 2026

Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. If you sign up through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure here.

Namecheap supports three types of redirects, each configured differently: URL forwarding (domain-level, set in the Namecheap dashboard), .htaccess redirects (server-level, set in cPanel), and WordPress plugin redirects (for WordPress sites). This guide covers all three with exact steps and the common errors that trip people up.

Method 1: URL Forwarding in Namecheap (Domain-Level Redirect)

URL forwarding is the simplest method — it redirects an entire domain or subdomain to another URL. Use this when you want to redirect a domain you own (e.g. olddomain.com → newdomain.com) without any hosting involved.

How to set it up

  1. Log in to Namecheap → Domain List → click Manage next to your domain.
  2. Click the Redirect Domain tab (visible when Namecheap BasicDNS is active) or go to Advanced DNS → URL Redirect Record.
  3. Set the Host field: use @ for the root domain (yourdomain.com) or www for www only.
  4. Set the Value field to your destination URL.
  5. Choose redirect type: Permanent (301) for permanent moves, Unmasked (302) for temporary, or Masked for keeping the original URL in the browser bar.
  6. Click the green checkmark to save.

The source URL format issue (most common problem)

The single most common failure with Namecheap URL forwarding: the redirect silently fails because the source URL isn’t in the correct format. Namecheap’s URL forwarding requires the Host field to be set correctly, not the full URL.

  • Wrong: putting https://yourdomain.com in the Host field
  • Right: putting @ (for root) or www (for www subdomain) in the Host field
  • The destination URL (the Value field) should be the full URL including protocol: https://newdomain.com

If you’re using BasicDNS and the redirect isn’t working, also verify that you don’t have an A record for @ in your Advanced DNS panel — an existing A record will take precedence over URL forwarding.

Limitations of Namecheap URL forwarding

  • Redirects the entire domain or subdomain — you can’t redirect individual page paths (e.g. yourdomain.com/old-page → newdomain.com/new-page) with this method.
  • Requires Namecheap’s nameservers (BasicDNS). If you’ve switched to custom nameservers (Cloudflare, etc.), set up the redirect at that DNS provider instead.
  • Masked redirects are not recommended for SEO — use 301 for permanent moves.

Method 2: .htaccess Redirects (Path-Level, Requires Hosting)

Use .htaccess redirects when you need to redirect specific pages or URL patterns, not just an entire domain. This requires shared hosting (Namecheap Stellar plans) or VPS — it doesn’t apply to EasyWP managed WordPress.

How to access your .htaccess file

  1. Log in to Namecheap cPanel → File Manager.
  2. Navigate to your site’s root directory (usually public_html).
  3. If .htaccess isn’t visible, click Settings in the top right of File Manager and check “Show Hidden Files.”
  4. Right-click .htaccess → Edit.

301 permanent redirect (single page)

Redirect 301 /old-page/ https://www.yourdomain.com/new-page/

302 temporary redirect (single page)

Redirect 302 /old-page/ https://www.yourdomain.com/new-page/

301 redirect entire old domain to new domain (with Apache RewriteEngine)

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^olddomain\.com$ [OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.olddomain\.com$
RewriteRule (.*)$ https://newdomain.com/$1 [R=301,L]

Force www to non-www (canonical)

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.(.+)$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^ https://%1%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]

Force HTTP to HTTPS

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule (.*) https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]

Important: After editing .htaccess, save the file and test immediately. An error in .htaccess can take your site offline (500 error). If this happens, log back into File Manager, remove the last change, and save.

Method 3: WordPress Plugin Redirects (For EasyWP and WordPress Sites)

If your site runs on WordPress (including Namecheap EasyWP), the Redirection plugin by John Godley is the recommended approach. It handles 301 and 302 redirects via the WordPress admin without requiring .htaccess access.

Setup

  1. In WordPress admin → Plugins → Add New → search “Redirection” → Install and Activate.
  2. Go to Tools → Redirection → follow the setup wizard.
  3. Under Redirections → Add New: set Source URL (the old path, e.g. /old-page/) and Target URL (the new path or full URL).
  4. Select redirect type (301 permanent or 302 temporary).
  5. Click Add Redirect.

The Redirection plugin also logs 404 errors, making it easy to find broken links that need redirects.

Which Method to Use?

Scenario Best Method
Redirect entire domain to new domain (no hosting) Namecheap URL Forwarding (Method 1)
Redirect individual pages on shared hosting .htaccess redirect (Method 2)
Redirect individual pages on WordPress / EasyWP Redirection plugin (Method 3)
Force HTTPS sitewide .htaccess redirect (Method 2)
Force non-www or www canonical .htaccess redirect (Method 2)
Bulk redirect 301s (site migration) Redirection plugin (Method 3) or .htaccess

Common Redirect Errors and Fixes

Redirect loop (ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS): You have two redirects pointing at each other. Common cause: both www and non-www redirect rules active simultaneously, or HTTPS redirect conflicting with hosting SSL settings. Fix: check your .htaccess for conflicting rules. On EasyWP, use the Redirection plugin rather than .htaccess.

URL forwarding not working on Namecheap: Check that the Host field uses @ or www, not a full URL. Verify no conflicting A record exists for the same host. Confirm nameservers are set to Namecheap BasicDNS.

Redirect goes to wrong page: If using .htaccess, check rule order — rules are applied top-to-bottom. A catch-all rule early in the file can capture traffic before more specific rules below it.

301 redirect not being followed by Google: Google respects 301 redirects but may take 1–6 months to fully transfer ranking signals. Submit the new URL to Google Search Console after setting up 301 redirects for faster discovery.

Need reliable hosting for redirect-heavy sites? See Namecheap hosting plans →

Related: Namecheap Domain Forwarding & BasicDNS Guide | DNS Not Propagating? 6 Fixes

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I set up a 301 redirect on Namecheap?

For domain-level redirects: Namecheap dashboard → Domain List → Manage → URL Redirect Record → set Host to @ and destination URL, choose Permanent (301). For page-level redirects: edit .htaccess via cPanel File Manager and add a Redirect 301 rule, or use the Redirection WordPress plugin on EasyWP.

Why is my Namecheap URL forwarding not working?

The most common cause: a conflicting A record exists for the same host in Advanced DNS. URL forwarding is overridden by A records. Delete the conflicting A record. Also ensure the Host field contains @ or www, not a full URL.

Does Namecheap URL forwarding work for SEO?

Only the Permanent (301) forwarding type passes SEO value. Masked redirects do not — they show your old domain URL in the browser bar while serving the destination site’s content, which creates duplicate content issues. Always use 301 for permanent moves.

Can I redirect specific pages on Namecheap?

Not with Namecheap’s URL forwarding tool — that only redirects entire domains or subdomains. For page-specific redirects, use .htaccess on shared hosting or the Redirection plugin on WordPress/EasyWP.

How do I redirect HTTP to HTTPS on Namecheap?

Add this to your .htaccess file in public_html: RewriteEngine On / RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off / RewriteRule (.*) https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]. On EasyWP, SSL and HTTPS redirect are handled automatically — no .htaccess edit needed.

Instructions verified May 2026 using Namecheap’s current cPanel and domain management interface.

Scroll to Top