Greetings!

This may seem like a silly inquiry, but I have my moments of foolishness =)

Essentially, there is a domain name that will eventually expire and can either be renewed or not. There is no obligation to renew it, especially if it is unappealing or undesirable, but I am interested in registering a new domain name and redirecting people from the old one to the new one.

However, if the domain is not renewed (and therefore not paid for), this won't be possible, correct?

Unfortunately, it is not possible. In order for the redirect to function properly, you must have control over the domain. If you don't own it, you can't manage it.

To perform a successful redirect to the new domain, it is necessary to upload a full list of pages and configure redirects. You can also scan and upload a list of old URLs using a desktop crawler for verification purposes. In case the website is extensive, it is adequate only to upload some sections and URL cards to check.

It is important to emphasize that product pages are responsible for a significant share of online stores' traffic, so it is recommended to set up a page-by-page 301 redirect rather than just for the main sections only. Using the code provided in the file .htaccess on the old domain, you can set up a 301 redirect that will redirect all pages to the new domain.

Regarding the code, while writing the .htaccess file, it is crucial to consider the redirection to the primary mirror (including the presence or absence of prefixes, protocols, among others). When configuring the redirect, make sure that robots.txt won't redirect. These are paginated redirects. Meaning pages such as site.com/about will redirect to site.org/about.

After setting up the redirects using the code in .htaccess, make sure that everything works correctly by checking the browser and server's response when redirecting the primary page and some internal ones.

RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^site\.com
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !/robots.txt
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://site.org/$1 [R=301,L]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www.site\.com
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !/robots.txt
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://site.org/$1 [R=301,L]


RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^site\.com
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://site.org/$1 [R=301,L]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www.site\.com
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://site.org/$1 [R=301,L]

Domain name redirecting is a common practice when you want to direct traffic from one domain to another. After the end of the registration period for a domain, if you do not renew it and someone else registers it, you will lose control of that domain.

To redirect traffic from the old domain to the new one, you typically need access to the DNS settings or control panel of the domain provider. There are a few methods you can use to achieve this redirection:

1. 301 Redirect: This is the most common type of redirect used for permanently moving a domain. You can set up a 301 redirect on the old domain's DNS settings or hosting control panel to point to the new domain. This way, when someone visits the old domain, they will be automatically redirected to the new domain.

2. HTML/Javascript Redirect: Another option is to create a simple HTML or JavaScript page on the old domain that includes a redirect code. This code will automatically redirect visitors to the new domain when they access the old domain's URL.

3. .htaccess Redirect: If you have access to the server's .htaccess file, you can set up a redirect there. This method is more technical and requires some knowledge of web servers, but it allows for more flexibility in redirects.


The .htaccess file is a configuration file used by the Apache web server to control various aspects of your website's functionality. It can be used to perform redirects, among other things. Here's how you can set up a redirect using the .htaccess file:

1. Access your website's files: Connect to your web server using FTP or a file manager provided by your hosting provider.

2. Locate the .htaccess file: If you don't have an existing .htaccess file, you can create one in the root directory of your website. If you already have one, make sure to edit it.

3. Open and edit the .htaccess file: Add the following lines of code to perform a redirect:

  ```
  RewriteEngine On
  RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://www.newdomain.com/$1 [R=301,L]
  ```

  Replace `http://www.newdomain.com/` with the URL of your new domain.

4. Save the .htaccess file: Make sure to save the changes to the .htaccess file and upload it back to your web server if required.

With this configuration, any request to the old domain will be redirected to the specified URL on the new domain. The `[R=301,L]` flags indicate that it's a permanent redirect (`301`) and the redirect rule should stop processing further (`L`).

It's important to note that modifying the .htaccess file requires some technical knowledge, as incorrect configurations can lead to website errors or disruptions. If you're not comfortable with this process, consider seeking assistance from your hosting provider or a web developer to ensure the redirect is set up correctly.

Remember to test the redirection thoroughly to ensure it works as expected before informing others about the change.