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SEO 5 min read Beginner

Redirect an Old Domain to Your New Subdomain Permanently

Set up 301 permanent redirects to send visitors from an old domain to your new is-pro.dev subdomain while preserving search engine rankings and maintaining analytics.

Written by Mayank Baswal

Founder of is-cool-me · DNS & Platform Infrastructure

Mayank Baswal maintains the is-cool-me platform and writes technical guides focused on DNS configuration, subdomain infrastructure, SSL troubleshooting, deployment workflows, and platform reliability.

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Reviewed by is-cool-me Technical Review

Introduction

Moving a website from one domain to another is a common task — whether you are migrating from an old personal domain to a free is-pro.dev subdomain, rebranding your project, or consolidating multiple domains. A 301 redirect tells browsers and search engines that the content has permanently moved to the new URL, preserving SEO rankings and ensuring visitors reach the right page. This guide covers setting up 301 redirects using Cloudflare Page Rules, Nginx configurations, and Netlify redirect files.

Prerequisites

  • An old domain or subdomain that you want to redirect from
  • An is-pro.dev subdomain that you want to redirect to (already configured with your site)
  • Access to the old domain's DNS settings (or Cloudflare dashboard if on is-pro.dev)
  • A clear mapping of old URLs to new URLs (if restructuring content)

Step 1: Choose Your Redirect Method

There are several ways to implement 301 redirects. Cloudflare Page Rules work if the old domain is on Cloudflare (which is-pro.dev domains are). Nginx or Apache configuration works if you control the origin server. Netlify or Vercel redirects work if your site is hosted on those platforms. The simplest method is Cloudflare Page Rules — you can set up a redirect in minutes without touching server configuration. For most is-pro.dev subdomain migrations, Cloudflare Page Rules are the recommended approach because they handle redirects at the edge, are free, and do not require server access.

Step 2: Set Up Redirect with Cloudflare Page Rules

Log into your Cloudflare dashboard and select the domain you are redirecting from. Navigate to "Rules → Page Rules". Click "Create Page Rule". Enter the old URL pattern using a wildcard: oldname.is-pro.dev/*. Under "Then the settings", choose "Forwarding URL" and select status code "301 - Permanent Redirect". In the destination URL, enter your new subdomain URL with a placeholder for the captured path: https://newname.is-pro.dev/$1. The $1 captures everything matched by the * wildcard, preserving the full URL path. Click "Save and Deploy". The redirect activates immediately on Cloudflare's network. Test it by visiting https://oldname.is-pro.dev/any-page — it should redirect to https://newname.is-pro.dev/any-page.

Step 3: Preserve SEO During Migration

To maintain search engine rankings during a domain migration, follow these SEO best practices. First, ensure all old URLs return a 301 (permanent) redirect status, not 302 (temporary). Search engines treat 301s as a signal to transfer ranking signals to the new URL. Second, use the $1 wildcard technique to preserve the URL path structure — changing URL structures can dilute SEO value. Third, update your sitemap.xml on the new domain to list all migrated content. Fourth, submit a change of address in Google Search Console: go to "Settings → Change of address" and enter your new subdomain. This explicitly tells Google that your site has moved. Fifth, notify any external sites that link to your old domain to update their links to the new URL.

Step 4: Set Up Nginx-Level Redirect (Alternative Method)

If you control the origin server for the old domain, you can configure redirects in Nginx. In the server block for the old domain, add: server { listen 80; server_name oldname.is-pro.dev; return 301 https://newname.is-pro.dev$request_uri; }. This captures the full request URI and appends it to the new domain. For HTTPS redirects, repeat with port 443 and include SSL configuration. The $request_uri Nginx variable includes the path and query string, ensuring complete URL preservation. Test with curl -I https://oldname.is-pro.dev/old-page?param=value and verify the Location header contains the full new URL.

Step 5: Set Up Netlify Redirects (Hosting Platform Method)

If your site is hosted on Netlify, create a _redirects file in the publish directory (no file extension). Add rules in the format: https://oldname.is-pro.dev/* https://newname.is-pro.dev/:splat 301!. The ! makes this a forced redirect that overrides any conflicting rules. Alternatively, add redirects in netlify.toml: [[redirects]] from = "https://oldname.is-pro.dev/*" to = "https://newname.is-pro.dev/:splat" status = 301 force = true. Deploy the changes. Netlify applies redirects at the edge, so propagation is immediate. For Vercel, use a vercel.json file with redirects configuration: {"redirects": [{"source": "/(.*)", "destination": "https://newname.is-pro.dev/$1", "permanent": true}]}.

Step 6: Verify the Migration

After setting up redirects, thoroughly test every aspect of the migration. Visit multiple old URLs and confirm they redirect to the correct new URLs with a 301 status code. Use the HTTP Headers Checker tool on is-pro.dev to verify the redirect chain. Check that query parameters are preserved in the redirect. Test that all site features work on the new domain — forms, login, API calls, and embedded content. Update any hardcoded URLs in your application code, database, or email templates. Monitor Google Search Console for crawl errors on the old domain. Set a reminder to check back in 30 days to confirm search rankings have transferred and the old domain is no longer being indexed.

Best Practices

  • Keep the old domain active and redirecting for at least 6-12 months after migration
  • Do not redirect all URLs to the homepage — preserve the URL structure to maintain SEO value for individual pages
  • Update internal links in your content to point to the new domain directly rather than relying on redirects
  • Monitor the old domain's redirect logs for unexpected traffic patterns that might indicate broken redirect rules

Conclusion

Redirecting an old domain to your new is-pro.dev subdomain is essential for preserving traffic, SEO rankings, and user experience during a migration. Cloudflare Page Rules offer the simplest implementation, while Nginx and Netlify configurations provide alternatives for server-level control. Whichever method you choose, proper 301 redirects with URL preservation ensure a smooth transition for both users and search engines.

FAQ

How long should I keep the old domain active?

Keep the redirect active for at least 6 months to a year. Search engines need time to transfer ranking signals, and users may have bookmarks pointing to the old URL.

Can I redirect a subdomain that is not on Cloudflare?

Yes, you can redirect from any domain using server configuration, HTML meta refresh, or JavaScript redirect. However, server-level 301 redirects are the most SEO-friendly method.

Will a 301 redirect affect my search engine rankings?

When implemented correctly with 301 status codes and matching URL paths, most SEO value transfers to the new domain. Rankings may fluctuate temporarily but should recover within 1-3 months.

FAQ

Is SEO setup free on is-pro.dev?

Yes, all subdomains on is-pro.dev include free DNS management and SSL certificates.

How long does DNS take to propagate?

Cloudflare typically propagates DNS changes within seconds to a few minutes globally.

Can I use this for commercial projects?

Yes, is-pro.dev subdomains can be used for personal and commercial projects within our fair use policy.

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