Magento 2 Redirects: Multi-Website To Main Domain Guide

Aug 23, 2025 by Lucas 56 views

Magento 2: Multi-website redirects to main domain

Hey guys! So, you're running a multi-website setup in Magento 2, right? That's awesome! It gives you the flexibility to manage different brands, product lines, or regions from a single Magento installation. But, as you probably know, it can also come with its own set of challenges. One of those challenges is handling redirects, especially when you've got websites living in subdirectories. Let's dive in and figure out how to get those Magento 2 multi-website redirects working like a charm, focusing on your situation with mainwebsite.ca and mainwebsite.ca/secondwebsite/. We'll break down the problem, look at why it's happening, and then explore the solutions, making sure everything's clear and easy to follow.

Understanding the Problem: Why Redirects are Important

Okay, first things first: Why are redirects even important? Well, they're absolutely crucial for a few key reasons, and especially in the context of SEO and user experience. Let's imagine this scenario: you've got a customer who types in mainwebsite.ca/secondwebsite/ to find your second store. But, ideally, you want them to seamlessly land on the proper page for your second store. Properly configured redirects ensure that users don't hit dead ends or, even worse, end up on a page that's completely irrelevant. This dramatically improves the user experience, keeping visitors engaged and preventing frustration. Furthermore, from an SEO perspective, redirects help maintain your website's authority. They ensure that search engines understand the structure of your site and correctly index your content. Without them, you could end up with duplicate content issues, which can harm your search rankings. In essence, redirects guide both users and search engine crawlers to the right place, making sure your site is user-friendly and optimized for search engines. Now, the specific problem you're facing, with a website within a subdirectory, adds an extra layer of complexity. Let’s dig in deeper to the core issues.

The Core Issues with Subdirectory Redirects

When you're dealing with a multi-website setup where one website lives in a subdirectory, you're likely to run into some specific issues. The default behavior of Magento, and web servers in general, might not always handle these situations perfectly. Here’s what you might encounter:

Incorrect URL Resolution: The server might not be configured to properly recognize and direct traffic to the correct store view based on the subdirectory. This can lead to errors or the user being served content from the wrong website.
Duplicate Content: If both mainwebsite.ca/secondwebsite/ and mainwebsite.ca/ (or a variation) can serve the same content, search engines might perceive this as duplicate content. This can dilute your SEO efforts.
Broken Links and Navigation: Internal links within the second website might still point to the subdirectory structure, leading to broken links if the redirect isn't set up correctly. This is a huge problem for user experience.
SEO Penalties: Improperly configured redirects or the lack of redirects can cause problems with search engine indexing. Search engines may penalize you, which is why it's vital to ensure everything is set up correctly from the get-go. So, what can you do to solve these problems and ensure your Magento 2 multi-website is performing at its best?

Implementing Redirects: Step-by-Step Solutions

Alright, let's get down to the nitty-gritty and explore some practical solutions to handle redirects in your Magento 2 multi-website setup. We’ll cover a few methods, from simple configurations to more advanced techniques, to ensure a smooth experience for your users and improved SEO. Remember, the goal is to make sure anyone accessing your second website through the subdirectory is seamlessly redirected to the correct destination.

Method 1: Using Magento's Built-In Redirects

Good news! Magento 2 has a built-in redirect feature that you can leverage. It’s relatively straightforward to use for simple redirects. Here’s how to set it up:

Access the Magento Admin Panel: Log in to your Magento 2 admin panel.
Navigate to Redirects: Go to Marketing > SEO & Search > URL Rewrites. This is where you will create and manage your URL rewrites, which are essentially the core of your redirects.
Create a New Rewrite: Click the “Add URL Rewrite” button.
Select the Rewrite Type: Choose the appropriate rewrite type. For this scenario, you likely want to use the “Permanent (301)” redirect, as you’re permanently moving content.
Fill in the Details: Now you'll need to fill in the details:
- Store: Select the store view you want the redirect to apply to (e.g., the second website).
- Request Path: This is the original URL path you want to redirect from. In your case, this would be something like /secondwebsite/.
- Target Path: This is the URL you want users to be redirected to. For instance, if you want to redirect the homepage of the second website, this would be /.
- Redirect Type: Ensure it’s set to “Permanent (301)”.
- Optional: You can also include a “Description” to help you remember what the redirect is for.
Save: Save the URL rewrite, and you're done! Magento will now automatically redirect traffic from /secondwebsite/ to the specified target.

Method 2: Using .htaccess for Server-Level Redirects

If Magento's built-in redirects aren't enough, or if you want more control, you can use the .htaccess file. This is a powerful way to manage redirects at the server level. Here's what you need to do:

Access the .htaccess File: You’ll need to access your website's root directory, where you'll find the .htaccess file. You might need to use an FTP client or file manager provided by your hosting provider to access this.
Edit the File: Open the .htaccess file in a text editor.
Add Redirect Rules: Add the following rules to the .htaccess file. The exact rules will depend on how you want the redirects to work. Here are some examples:
- Redirect all traffic from subdirectory to the main domain:
```
RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule ^secondwebsite/(.*)$ https://mainwebsite.ca/$1 [R=301,L]
```
  This rule tells the server to redirect any request to mainwebsite.ca/secondwebsite/ to mainwebsite.ca/, effectively removing the subdirectory.
- Redirecting the homepage specifically:
```
RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule ^secondwebsite/$ https://mainwebsite.ca/ [R=301,L]
```
- Redirecting specific pages:
```
RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule ^secondwebsite/about-us.html$ https://mainwebsite.ca/about-us.html [R=301,L]
```
Save the File: Save the changes to the .htaccess file.
Test the Redirects: After saving, test the redirects by visiting the original URL in your browser to ensure it's working correctly.

Method 3: Using a Magento Extension

If you prefer a more user-friendly way to manage redirects, or if you need advanced features, there are several Magento extensions available that can simplify the process. These extensions often provide a graphical user interface (GUI) to manage redirects and offer more features than the built-in Magento tools. Here’s how to get started with a Magento extension:

Choose an Extension: Search the Magento Marketplace or other reputable sources for redirect extensions. Look for extensions that are well-reviewed and compatible with your Magento version.
Install the Extension: Follow the installation instructions provided by the extension developer. This typically involves uploading the extension files to your Magento installation and running some commands or using the Magento admin panel to enable it.
Configure the Extension: Once installed, the extension will usually add a new section to your Magento admin panel. Navigate to this section to configure the extension.
Create Redirects: Use the extension's interface to create your redirects. This will often involve specifying the source URL (the subdirectory path) and the target URL (the main domain path). You can also specify the redirect type (301, 302, etc.).
Test the Redirects: As with any method, test the redirects to make sure they are working correctly. Check that the redirects are taking users to the right pages and that the redirect types are as expected.

SEO Considerations: Ensuring Proper Redirects

Now that you've implemented your redirects, let's dive into the SEO aspects to make sure you're doing everything correctly. Effective redirects not only help with user experience but also play a crucial role in maintaining your search engine rankings. Here's what you need to keep in mind:

Use 301 Redirects for Permanent Changes

When you're redirecting from a subdirectory to your main domain, you should always use a 301 (Permanent) redirect. This tells search engines that the content has permanently moved to a new location, ensuring that they update their index accordingly and pass link equity (SEO value) to the new URL. Using a 302 (Temporary) redirect would indicate that the move is temporary, so search engines wouldn't update their index, and you might lose SEO value.

Preserve Link Equity

When you redirect, make sure you redirect to the most relevant page on your main domain. This helps to preserve link equity. For example, if you're redirecting mainwebsite.ca/secondwebsite/about-us to mainwebsite.ca/about-us, you're passing the SEO value of the former to the latter. Make sure the content matches, so the redirect is logical for both users and search engines.

Monitor Redirects Regularly

It’s essential to regularly monitor your redirects to ensure they are functioning correctly. Here’s what you can do:

Check for Broken Redirects: Use tools like Google Search Console or online redirect checkers to identify any broken redirects.
Review Crawl Errors: In Google Search Console, check for crawl errors. These can indicate issues with your redirects.
Test Manually: Manually test the redirects by entering the old URLs in your browser and confirming that they redirect to the correct pages.

Update Internal Links

If you have internal links on your website that point to the subdirectory, update them to point to the new URLs on your main domain. This helps prevent unnecessary redirects and improves the overall user experience.

Use Canonical Tags

Use canonical tags to specify the preferred version of a page. In your case, if you're redirecting pages from mainwebsite.ca/secondwebsite/ to mainwebsite.ca/, the canonical tag on the mainwebsite.ca/ page should point to itself, indicating that this is the preferred version.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Even after implementing redirects, you might run into a few common issues. Here’s how to troubleshoot them:

Redirects Not Working

Check for Typos: Double-check the URL paths in your redirects for any typos or incorrect characters. A small mistake can render the redirect useless.
Clear Cache: Clear your Magento cache and browser cache. Sometimes, old cached data can interfere with the redirect process.
Check the .htaccess File: If you're using .htaccess redirects, make sure the file is in the correct directory and that your server is configured to read it.
Review Conflicting Rules: Check for any conflicting rewrite rules in your .htaccess file. Make sure your redirect rules don’t interfere with other rules.

Redirect Loops

Check the Rewrite Rules: Make sure your rewrite rules aren’t causing redirect loops (where the redirect redirects back to itself). This can happen if the source and target URLs are set incorrectly.
Review the Server Configuration: In some cases, server-level configurations can lead to redirect loops. Check your server settings and configurations.

SEO Problems

Check the Redirect Type: Ensure that you’re using 301 (permanent) redirects, not 302 (temporary) redirects, for the content migrations.
Monitor for Indexing Issues: Use Google Search Console to monitor for any indexing problems. Make sure your redirected URLs are being indexed correctly.

Conclusion: Mastering Magento 2 Multi-website Redirects

So, there you have it! We've covered everything from understanding the problem of redirects in Magento 2 multi-website setups to implementing practical solutions using Magento's built-in tools, .htaccess files, and Magento extensions. We also touched on crucial SEO considerations and troubleshooting tips to ensure your redirects work smoothly. Redirects are not just about fixing broken links; they're about providing a better user experience and maintaining your website's SEO health. By following these steps, you can ensure that your Magento 2 multi-website setup is optimized for both users and search engines. Always remember to test your redirects, monitor them regularly, and keep an eye on your website's performance to ensure everything is working as expected. Good luck, and happy redirecting!