A redirect domain forwards visitors from one domain name to another, rather than showing shared content under both names. Someone typing the old domain lands on your main site's URL, and the browser's address bar updates to match. This differs from a parked domain, which keeps both domains visible in the browser while showing the same content.
When to Use a Redirect Instead of Parking
Redirects are the better choice when you want a single, clear version of your site indexed by search engines, or when you've retired an old domain but still want visitors and old links to land somewhere useful. If you genuinely want two domains to both display your site under their own name, a parked domain fits better instead.
In cPanel
- Log in to cPanel and open Redirects under the Domains section.
- Choose the domain you want to redirect from the dropdown.
- Enter the full destination URL, including https://, where visitors should be sent.
- Choose Permanent (301) for a redirect you intend to keep long term, which also signals search engines to update their index.
- Click Add.
In DirectAdmin
- Log in to DirectAdmin and go to Domain Setup.
- Select the domain you want to redirect, or add it first if it isn't already on your account.
- Choose the Redirect type for that domain instead of a normal or pointer domain.
- Enter the destination URL and save the change.
A 301 redirect is treated as permanent by browsers and search engines. If you're testing and might change the destination later, a 302 (temporary) redirect avoids that content being cached as final.
Redirecting a Whole Domain vs Specific Pages
The steps above redirect the entire domain to a single destination URL. If you need individual old pages to redirect to specific new pages rather than all traffic landing on one URL, that's usually handled through .htaccess rules or your CMS's redirect settings instead, which is a separate setup from domain-level redirects.