Nobody likes an error message, and the 404 error message (Page Not Found) is so common it has become almost a meme. Typically, this message means the server is reachable, but the page the user is trying to access does not exist.

This problem can occur even if the page or post does exist, as many WordPress users know. Fortunately, it’s easy to resolve with a WordPress redirect plugin. But before diving into the list of plugins, let’s first discuss 404 errors and some possible solutions.

What is a 404 Error?

A 404 error indicates that your browser can communicate with a server but cannot find the requested content. This usually happens with broken ( or dead) links, where the content was once available but has either been removed or relocated. Other common causes include typos, corrupt theme files, or faulty plugins. This issue is so prevalent that we have a comprehensive tutorial on fixing 404 errors in WordPress.

From a user experience perspective, a broken link leading to a generic error page can drive visitors away from the content they wanted—your content—which might still be accessible. However, a well-designed 404 error page can turn this situation to your advantage. It should be visually engaging and provide clear navigation back to your main site and potentially to the content the visitor was seeking. We have compiled a list of websites with excellent 404 page designs to inspire you.

In summary, instead of losing visitors due to 404 errors, you can leverage them to enhance your site’s user experience. I will show you how to use a WordPress plugin to redirect visitors from broken links to relevant content that might interest them.

1. Redirection

Redirection is one of the best free redirect plugins available. It features a robust redirect manager that allows you to create and manage redirect rules, including those with query parameters. Setting up and modifying redirects in bulk is straightforward, making it an efficient tool for handling large numbers of redirects.

This plugin supports conditional redirects based on various criteria such as browser type, referrer, and IP address. It also logs all redirects on your site, including those not initially set up by Redirection, providing comprehensive management of 301 redirects in WordPress.

A notable feature is its fine-grained permissions, allowing you to customize the plugin’s functionality for different users, which is particularly useful for WordPress multisite installations. Additionally, Redirection supports both NGINX and Apache web servers, enabling you to create redirects without needing to code.

Key Features

• Redirection logs: Keep track of all redirects, ensuring you can monitor and manage them effectively.
• HTTP headers: Manage HTTP headers for your redirects.
• Query parameter handling: Create redirects that include query parameters for more precise targeting.
• Apache and NGINX support: Seamlessly create redirects on both types of web servers.
• Bulk redirect creation and modification: Efficiently set up and modify large numbers of redirects.

2. Safe Redirect Manager

Safe Redirect Manager stands out from other plugins by allowing you to set up redirects directly when creating a page or post. It stores redirects as custom post types, making them easy to organize and tailor to various projects.

Despite being free, Safe Redirect Manager is robust enough to manage high traffic volumes. It supports wildcard and REGEX redirects, enabling automated redirection based on specific paths, which is particularly useful for complex redirection needs.

By default, Safe Redirect Manager allows up to 1,000 redirects, but you can increase this limit using the srm_max_redirects PHP filter. This flexibility makes it a powerful tool for managing a large number of redirects efficiently.

Key Features

• Wildcard and Regular Expression Support: Automate redirects based on specific patterns and paths.
• Custom Post Type for Redirects: Easily organize and manage redirects within your WordPress dashboard.
• Redirection Cache Using the Transients API: Improve performance by caching redirects.
• Supports Over 1,000 Redirects: Use the srm_max_redirects PHP filter to increase the default limit.
• Bulk Import and Export: Utilize WP-CLI and CSV files for efficient bulk management of redirects.

3. 404 to 301

404 to 301 simplifies the process of creating custom redirects for 404 errors. It supports 301, 302, and 307 redirection methods, allowing you to select the most appropriate HTTP status for each redirect.

This WordPress redirect plugin monitors all 404 errors and lets you exclude specific paths from the error log. The log manager includes an email alert feature with customizable intervals, which can be set for one or multiple recipients to help minimize traffic loss.

Additionally, the plugin is highly customizable and scalable through WordPress hooks, allowing you to tailor its functionality to your specific needs.

Key Features

• Multiple Redirection Methods: Choose between 301, 302, and 307 redirects for flexible redirection options.
• 404 Error Logging: Keep track of all 404 errors to manage and resolve broken links effectively.
• Email Alerts: Receive notifications about 404 errors with customizable intervals for one or more recipients.
• Path Exclusion: Exclude certain paths from the error log to avoid unnecessary logging.
• Translation-Ready: Easily translate the plugin to suit different languages and locales.

4. 301 Redirects & 404 Error Log

301 Redirects & 404 Error Log is a versatile plugin that allows you to create both temporary and permanent redirects to new URLs. It stores all redirect rules and active redirects in your WordPress database, enabling easy import and export if needed.

In addition to managing redirects, this plugin tracks and logs 404 error codes, helping ensure that you continue to drive traffic to your website even when visitors encounter broken links.

301 Redirects also offers premium lifetime licenses starting at $49 per website, which include benefits like priority support and a white-label mode.

Key Features

• Custom Destination URL: Easily set redirects to any URL of your choice.
• One-Click Refresh Cache: Quickly update and refresh the redirection cache.
• Straightforward Redirection: Simple and intuitive setup for managing redirects.
• GDPR Compatibility: Ensure compliance with GDPR regulations.
• Remote Website Stats and Logs (Premium): Access detailed statistics and logs from remote websites with the premium version.

5. Simple 301 Redirects

Simple 301 Redirects is designed for users seeking an easy and straightforward redirection solution. Its interface is extremely user-friendly, making it accessible even for beginners. Creating, importing, and exporting redirects can be done in just a few clicks.

Despite its simplicity, this plugin supports wildcard redirects, which is particularly useful for easing the domain migration process or consolidating multiple domains into a single website.

Key Features

• Easy and Free to Use: Accessible to users of all skill levels without any cost.
• Simple Interface: Intuitive and straightforward design for hassle-free navigation.
• One-Click Redirect Creation: Quickly set up redirects with a single click.
• One-Click Import and Export: Easily manage and transfer your redirects with simple import and export functions.

6. SEO Redirection

SEO Redirection simplifies the process of setting up 301 permanent redirects, 302 found redirects, and 307 temporary redirects on your WordPress site. Despite its name, it also addresses 404 and soft 404 errors, helping to ensure that search engines can properly index your pages.

This plugin can be configured to automatically create a 301 redirect whenever a post’s URL changes, regardless of the post’s status. It also supports redirecting folders and their contents based on default or custom rules.

With support for wildcard and regular expression (REGEX) redirects, you can drive traffic from any URL that matches a specific pattern to your WordPress site. The plugin offers multiple redirection methods based on various conditions, such as the visitor’s login status and referrer.

Key Features

• Wildcard and Regular Expression Redirects: Redirect based on complex URL patterns.
• Full Logging: Track all redirects and errors for better management.
• Manual and Automatic 301 Redirect Creation: Flexibility to create redirects manually or automatically when a URL changes.
• 404 Error Detection and Correction: Identify and fix 404 errors to maintain traffic and SEO.
• WPML Support: Compatible with WPML for managing redirects on multilingual sites.