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Simple Website Redirect

By Micah Wood

Site Administration & Utilities / URL Redirects & 301 Management

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Simple Website Redirect Review - In-Depth Analysis

Redirect an entire website to another site while preserving URL paths. Ideal for SEO.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.86/10

User Rating

4.6/5 (based on 21+ reviews)

Active Installations

5,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

The Simple Website Redirect plugin allows you to redirect an entire website, excluding the WordPress backend, to another website. This ensures that the URL path and query string are preserved during the redirection process.

It is recommended that the new site handle any specific redirects for old pages pointing to new pages. The Redirection plugin is a great option for this purpose.

Using this plugin is straightforward. After installation and activation, navigate to 'Settings' in the WordPress admin menu and select 'Website Redirect'. Enter the URL for redirection, choose the desired redirection type, and set the status to 'Enabled' to save your changes.

Note that the redirection type can be either 'Temporary' or 'Permanent'. It is advisable to start with 'Temporary' during testing and switch to 'Permanent' later for optimal SEO benefits. Keep in mind that browsers cache permanent redirects.

Comparing to Alternatives

Simple Website Redirect offers a straightforward solution for redirecting entire websites, with several other plugins providing similar or more advanced redirect functionalities.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Extremely simple and easy to use interface
Effective for redirecting entire websites quickly
No known security vulnerabilities
Highly rated by users for reliability
Lightweight with minimal configuration required

Weaknesses

Blocks WP-CLI commands in multisite environments
Lacks advanced redirect management features
No pro version or premium features available
Limited to basic redirect functionality

User Sentiment Analysis

With a strong majority of 5-star ratings and very few low ratings, users generally praise the plugin for its simplicity and effectiveness, though a small minority report issues in specific scenarios.

Positive highlights

'Super simple and very just simple' - aaronmspelling
'Simple, easy to use and ready to go!' - soulcommerce
'Works perfectly for domain changes during DNS updates' - YaegerDesign
'Perfect and easy to set up for whole website redirects' - blunoa
'Needed 5 mins to do all and works fine' - apuliabikeroute

Common complaints

Blocks WP-CLI commands in multisite deployments

Weaknesses

Limited functionality beyond basic redirects
No support for advanced redirect rules
No premium support or features
Incompatibility with WP-CLI in multisite setups

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users who need a straightforward, no-frills plugin to redirect an entire website quickly and easily without complex configurations.

Not ideal for

Developers or site administrators who rely on WP-CLI in multisite environments or require advanced redirect management features.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides all core features needed to redirect entire websites simply and effectively.

Final Verdict

Simple Website Redirect excels at providing a minimalistic and effective solution for redirecting entire websites, earning high praise for ease of use and reliability. Its lack of security issues and lightweight nature make it a solid choice for straightforward redirect needs.

However, its incompatibility with WP-CLI in multisite setups and absence of advanced features limit its suitability for more complex environments or users needing extensive redirect management. Overall, it is a great free tool for basic website redirection tasks.