How do I set up a redirect in Joomla?

Joomla has a feature that will allow you redirect a specified URL to a different page on your website. This comes in handy if:

  • Your file/URL structure has changed. This is a problem because google still has your old link indexed and that link is now taking users to a 404 page.
  • You want a vanity URL that's easy to verbalize or for printing purposes.
  • It seems like a pretty neat website trick and you're becoming a ninja.

As an example, if we wanted to send someone directly to the "what to expect" question in this FAQ section, the link would looks like this:

This is a hopelessly long URL! It has a hashtag (pound sign?) in it for crying out loud! We can't tell you how to get to this over the phone if we want you to see it. So let's set you up for success by shortening the URL to: proofinteractive.com/dev

To accomplish this, the first step is to type the desired URL into the browser, in this case it is proofinteractive.com/dev. You will get a 404 page when you do this on your site with your new URL. (If you do not get an error page, you may not forward that URL because a page already exists in that location. )

404 redirect

After you have done this, clear your cache and login to the backend of your Joomla website. Once you have logged in go to Components > Redirects. You will find a list of the 404 pages that have been logged on your site. It's quite magical, actually. Find your new URL using the search if needed. In this case, we will be looking for the word "dev" in the list.

Once you find your URL on the list, click into it and you will see the Redirect edit page. (See image below.)

  1. The "Expired URL" will already be filled in for you.
  2. In "New URL" space, add the path to the page you want to send to. There should be no backslash. (If you do not know how to find the file path, there is an explanation here.)
  3. Toggle the "Status" to "Enabled" and save and close.

Once these steps are completed, clear your cache again and go the the new short URL that you set up to make sure it worked. Now if you visit proofinteractive.com/dev you will be forwarded to the correct page.

redirect edit page