How to Forward a Domain to Another Domain Print

anged your business name, rebranded, or simply want multiple domains pointing to the same site, domain forwarding is the solution.

At Vivint Host, we’ve made it easy to set up URL redirects with full control and flexibility. This guide walks you through the process, explains the different types of redirects, and helps you configure everything correctly.

Understanding Domain Redirects

A domain redirect (also called URL forwarding) ensures that anyone visiting your current domain gets automatically sent to a different URL. This could be another domain you own or a completely different website.

There are three common types of redirects:

• 301 Redirect (Permanent): Best for SEO. Tells search engines the redirect is permanent.
• 302 Redirect (Unmasked): Temporary forwarding. The destination URL is shown in the browser.
• Masked Redirect (URL Frame): The original domain remains visible in the browser, even though the content comes from a different URL.

These redirects work for domains managed through DNS services like BasicDNS, PremiumDNS, or FreeDNS. Once your redirect is set up, it usually takes about 30 minutes to start functioning across the internet.

HTTPS and Secure Redirects

If your source or destination domain uses HTTPS, both domains must have valid SSL certificates installed.

• Redirecting from http://domain.tld to https://anotherdomain.tld is allowed.
  
  
• Redirecting from https://domain1.tld to https://domain2.tld requires SSL on both domains.
  
  
• Redirects within the same domain (e.g. from http://yourdomain.com to https://yourdomain.com) must be done via your .htaccess file or a security plugin like the Vivint Host SSL tool, assuming SSL is active.
  
  

If a redirect points from a secure (HTTPS) URL to a non-secure (HTTP) destination, modern browsers like Chrome may display a security warning. For user trust and site credibility, always redirect to a secure (HTTPS) destination.

How to Set Up Domain Redirects on Vivint Host

There are two ways to configure a URL redirect in your domain settings:

1. Using the Domain Tab – Quick setup for simple forwarding.
2. Using the Advanced DNS Tab – For more granular control, including subdomains and multiple redirect types.

Option 1: Redirecting a Domain via the Domain Tab

1. Log into your Vivint Host dashboard and click Manage next to the domain you want to forward.
2. Scroll to the Redirect Domain section and click Add Redirect.
3. In the Source URL field, enter your domain (e.g., yourdomain.com or www.yourdomain.com).
4. In the Destination URL field, enter the full web address you want to forward to (e.g., https://newdomain.com).
5. Save All Changes button to save your settings.
   
   

Tip: To ensure it works correctly, check the Advanced DNS tab and remove any conflicting records (like A, CNAME, or existing redirect records) for the same domain.

Once saved, the changes should begin working within 30 minutes.

Option 2: Redirecting a Domain via the Advanced DNS Tab

If you need to set up more specific or complex redirects (such as subdomains), use the Advanced DNS tab:

1. Click Manage next to your domain, then go to the Advanced DNS tab.
2. Under Host Records, click Add New Record.
3. Choose URL Redirect Record from the Type dropdown.
4. In the Host field:

• Use @ to redirect the root domain.
• Use www to redirect the www version.
• Use * for wildcard subdomains.
  
  

5. Enter the destination URL in the Value field.
6. Choose the redirect type: 301 (Permanent), 302 (Unmasked), or Masked.
7. Click Save All Changes.

Check the rest of your DNS records and remove any conflicting entries to avoid issues.

Tip: Redirect records create a hidden A record in the background that points to Vivint Host’s redirect server. This record is automatically removed when you delete the redirect.

Final Checks

• Make sure both your source and destination URLs are correct.
• If using HTTPS, confirm SSL is installed on both domains.
• Avoid duplicate or conflicting DNS entries.
• Wait up to 30 minutes for the changes to fully propagate across networks.

Need Help?

If you're trying to connect your domain to a website builder or external service, refer to the Third-Party Services section in our knowledge base.

Need to point your domain to hosting? Simply update your domain’s nameservers to your hosting server.