To redirect a domain on Hostinger, use the Redirects tool in hPanel (Domains → Redirects): pick the domain, enter the destination URL, choose 301 (permanent), and save — it takes effect immediately. For more control (regex patterns, redirecting everything except certain paths), add rewrite rules to the domain’s .htaccess file via hPanel’s File Manager instead. Use 301 for permanent moves (it passes SEO value to the new URL); use 302 only for genuinely temporary redirects.
301 vs 302 — pick the right type
The number is a message to browsers and search engines. A 301 (permanent) redirect says “this page has moved forever” — browsers cache it aggressively and Google transfers most ranking signals to the destination. A 302 (temporary) says “this is detouring for now” — nothing is cached long-term and ranking signals stay with the original URL. Practical rule: rebrands, domain changes, HTTP-to-HTTPS, and www consolidation are all 301. A 302 is for things like a maintenance page or an A/B test you will remove next week. When in doubt, 301 — a wrong 302 quietly leaks SEO value for months before anyone notices.
Method 1 — Redirects tool in hPanel (easiest)
Step 1: In hPanel, go to Domains → Redirects.
Step 2: In the “Redirects a domain” form, select the domain you want to redirect from in the dropdown.
Step 3: Enter the full destination URL in the “Redirects to URL” field, including https:// — for example https://newdomain.com.
Step 4: Set the type to 301 and save. hPanel writes the rule for you; the redirect is live immediately with no propagation wait, because it happens on the server, not in DNS.
This handles domain-to-domain redirects cleanly: old-domain.com, www.old-domain.com, and any path like old-domain.com/blog/post all land on the corresponding destination. It is the right tool for “I bought a second domain and want it to show my main site” and for “we rebranded, point everything at the new domain.”
Method 2 — .htaccess rules (full control)
When the Redirects tool is not enough — conditional logic, excluding paths, or forcing HTTPS and www in one pass — edit .htaccess in the domain’s document root: hPanel → Files → File Manager → open public_html (or the domain’s folder for addon domains). If .htaccess is invisible, enable Show Hidden Files in the File Manager settings. Download a backup copy before editing; one typo here can white-screen the site, and the backup is your undo button.
Redirect an entire domain to a new domain (301):
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^old-domain\.com$ [OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.old-domain\.com$
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://new-domain.com/$1 [R=301,L]
Force www (non-www → www):
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^example\.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://www.example.com/$1 [R=301,L]
Force non-www (www → non-www):
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.example\.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://example.com/$1 [R=301,L]
Test with curl or a redirect-checker tool afterward: you want exactly one 301 hop from the old URL to the final URL, not a chain of two or three.
www vs non-www: pick one and stick to it
www.example.com and example.com are technically different addresses, and serving the same site on both splits your SEO signals and can cause cookie and analytics quirks. Neither choice is inherently better — but you must canonicalize: redirect one version to the other with a 301 (using either method above), then set the matching preferred version in Google Search Console. Most new sites today go non-www; either is fine as long as it is consistent everywhere, including your internal links and sitemap.
Redirecting a domain to a specific page
Sometimes the goal is not domain-to-domain but domain-to-page: you bought a catchy domain for a campaign and want it to land on a signup page. In hPanel’s Redirects tool, set the destination to the full page URL (https://mainsite.com/summer-offer). Note the behavior: with the simple tool, every path on the old domain lands on that one page. If you need old-domain.com/pricing to map to newsite.com/pricing instead, use the .htaccess pattern from Method 2, which preserves the path via the $1 back-reference.
Avoiding redirect loops (the classic mistake)
A redirect loop — browser error “too many redirects” — happens when A points to B and B points back to A, or when two layers each “fix” the URL. The usual suspects on Hostinger:
- HTTPS forcing in two places: hPanel’s Force HTTPS toggle plus an .htaccess HTTP-to-HTTPS rule plus a WordPress plugin doing the same. Pick one layer (hPanel’s toggle is enough for most sites) and remove the others.
- Cloudflare + Hostinger double redirect: Cloudflare’s “Always Use HTTPS” combined with an .htaccess rule, or a Cloudflare Page Rule redirecting to a URL that Hostinger redirects back. With Cloudflare in front, set its SSL mode to Full (strict) and keep the canonical redirect in one place.
- www rules fighting: an .htaccess rule forcing www while hPanel or WordPress settings force non-www. Decide once, implement once.
To diagnose, open the browser dev tools Network tab and watch the redirect chain — the repeating pair of URLs names the culprits. Fix by removing the duplicate rule, then hard-refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R); browsers cache 301s aggressively, so test in a private window to see the true current behavior.
Testing your redirect properly
Do not trust your regular browser tab for testing — it caches 301s aggressively and will show you yesterday’s behavior. Instead: open a private/incognito window and visit the old URL, or use a free redirect-checker tool (httpstatus.io and similar) which shows the full hop chain with status codes. You want exactly one 301 from old URL to final URL. If you see two or three hops, flatten the chain — point the first redirect at the final destination directly. On the command line, curl -IL http://old-domain.com prints every hop and is the fastest way to verify.
How long do redirects take? Do they hurt SEO?
Server-side redirects (both methods here) take effect instantly — there is no DNS-style propagation. A single-hop 301 passes the vast majority of ranking signals; Google has confirmed 301s no longer lose meaningful PageRank. What does hurt is chains (A→B→C) and loops — keep every redirect to one hop, update your internal links and sitemap to point at final URLs, and monitor Search Console’s coverage report for a few weeks after a big domain move.
FAQ
Where is the redirect tool in Hostinger’s hPanel?
Domains → Redirects. Select the source domain, enter the full destination URL with https://, choose 301, and save — it works immediately.
Should I use 301 or 302 for a domain redirect?
301 for anything permanent (rebrands, domain changes, www consolidation, HTTP to HTTPS). 302 only for genuinely temporary situations like maintenance pages. A wrong 302 silently keeps SEO value on the old URL.
Why am I getting “too many redirects” on Hostinger?
Two layers are redirecting against each other — most often Force HTTPS enabled in hPanel plus a duplicate rule in .htaccess or a WordPress plugin, or a Cloudflare setting conflicting with the server rule. Keep the redirect in one place and remove the duplicates.
Can I redirect a domain without hosting?
Not on Hostinger’s Redirects tool — the domain must be added to a hosting plan so there is a server to issue the redirect. For a domain with no hosting at all, use your registrar’s forwarding feature (most registrars offer basic domain forwarding free).
Next steps
Redirects pair naturally with domain moves: if you are pointing a registrar domain at Hostinger first, see connecting an external domain, and our Hostinger domains guide covers renewals and transfers for the domains you are consolidating. After the redirect is live, install free SSL on the destination so the whole chain stays on HTTPS.