To permanently redirect a subdomain, return an HTTP 301 Moved Permanently response from an HTTP service that controls the subdomain. DNS by itself cannot issue a redirect: a CNAME only aliases one hostname to another and cannot inspect a URL path, return a status code, or send a Location header.
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You can implement the redirect with a forwarding feature in your DNS host, registrar, or hosting panel, or run a small web-server endpoint for the subdomain. Use a 301 when the move is permanent, test every relevant URL before publishing it, and use a 308 instead when POST requests must retain their method.
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What a subdomain redirect actually does
When someone requests https://old.example.com, the browser first resolves the hostname through DNS. It then opens an HTTP or HTTPS connection to the resulting server. The redirect happens only after that server receives the request.
The server answers with a status such as 301 Moved Permanently and a Location header containing the destination, for example https://new.example.com/landing. The client then requests the destination URL. The original hostname therefore needs a functioning HTTP endpoint, even if that endpoint does nothing except redirect.
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Why a CNAME cannot perform the redirect
A CNAME record says that one DNS name is an alias for another hostname. DNS returns names and addresses; it does not understand HTTP methods, URL paths, response headers, or status codes. Pointing old.example.com at new.example.com with a CNAME can make both names reach the same server, but it does not tell that server to send visitors elsewhere.
Because DNS has no concept of a URL, it cannot redirect to a path such as /guides/start, preserve or discard a path, or issue a 301. A forwarding product or a web server must make that decision at the HTTP layer.
Choose the implementation that fits your control needs
| Consideration | Provider forwarding | Your own web server |
|---|---|---|
| Setup effort | Low; configured in a provider panel or dashboard | Higher; requires a server and an HTTPS endpoint when HTTPS is used |
| Response headers and Cache-Control | Limited to the controls exposed by the provider | Full control over status, headers, and caching directives |
| Path behavior | Depends on the provider’s forwarding implementation | Can be defined with rewrite rules, including path preservation |
| HTTPS certificate responsibility | Depends on whether the provider provisions and serves a certificate for the subdomain | You manage the certificate and the virtual host that answers the subdomain |
| Verification | curl -I against the subdomain |
curl -I against the subdomain |
Use provider forwarding when you want the smallest operational footprint and the provider explicitly supports a permanent HTTP redirect. Use your own endpoint when you need predictable path rules, custom headers, or control over caching. Do not assume that a DNS dashboard’s ordinary record editor is a forwarding service; look for a feature labeled forwarding, URL redirect, or permanent redirect.
Decide what should happen to paths
A “subdomain to a specific URL” instruction can mean two different policies. Decide which one you need before configuring anything:
- Single destination: every request for the subdomain, including requests with different paths, goes to one exact URL such as
https://www.example.com/archive. - Path-preserving move: a request such as
old.example.com/newsbecomesnew.example.com/news. This requires a forwarding service that documents path handling or a server rule that captures and appends the path.
Provider interfaces differ on this point. Some expose a “forward path” or “wildcard” option; others redirect only the bare hostname. Treat the behavior as unverified until you test both the root URL and a representative path.
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Configure a permanent redirect with a provider
The exact labels vary by DNS host, registrar, and hosting panel, and provider-specific screens are not universal. The following sequence applies to a service that genuinely offers HTTP forwarding.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors- Open the forwarding tool, not only the DNS-record editor. Select URL forwarding, web forwarding, or the equivalent feature for the source subdomain.
- Enter the complete source hostname. Use the subdomain, such as
old.example.com, rather than the parent domain unless you intend to redirect every host. - Select the permanent redirect type. Choose
301, “Permanent,” or the provider’s equivalent. Do not select a frame or masked forwarding mode; that can leave the original address visible instead of returning a normal redirect. - Enter the full destination URL. Include the scheme (
https://) and any required path. A destination that is only a hostname may not express the exact page you intend. - Set path handling deliberately. If the panel offers a preserve-path option, enable it only when the destination site has matching paths. Otherwise configure the service to send all requests to the one specified URL.
- Confirm HTTPS coverage. If visitors will request
https://old.example.com, the forwarding endpoint must complete TLS for that hostname before it can return a 301. Verify that the provider supplies the certificate or clearly documents how you attach one. - Save and publish the rule. Keep a record of the source, destination, redirect code, and path setting so a later administrator can distinguish the forwarding rule from ordinary DNS records.
Provider forwarding is complete only when the endpoint returns the expected HTTP response. A saved dashboard setting is not proof that the HTTPS hostname, root path, and deeper paths all behave correctly.
Run the redirect from a web server you control
An own-server implementation is useful when the provider has no forwarding feature or when you need exact rewrite and header behavior.
Point the subdomain at the redirect endpoint
Create the appropriate DNS record so the subdomain resolves to the server that will answer it. The server must have a virtual host or site configuration for the requested hostname. For HTTPS traffic, install and renew a certificate covering that subdomain; TLS negotiation happens before the server can send the HTTP 301.
Return a 301 and a Location header
Configure the virtual host to answer the request with status 301 and a Location header containing the destination URL. The response body is optional for normal clients, because browsers follow the header. Make sure the rule is attached to the intended subdomain and not accidentally to unrelated sites on the same server.
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Illustrative Apache rule
A commonly used Apache pattern is:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://newdomain.com/$1 [R=301,L]This pattern captures the requested path and appends it to the new host. For example, a request for old.example.com/help is sent to https://newdomain.com/help. It is an illustrative pattern rather than a guarantee for every Apache layout: place it in the correct virtual-host or directory context, check how your server handles leading slashes, and test the final URL before enabling it for all traffic.
If your requirement is one fixed destination regardless of the incoming path, use a rule that does not append the captured path. The important result is the generated response, not the particular configuration syntax: status 301, the intended Location value, and no redirect loop.
Other server software
Nginx and other HTTP servers can perform the same operation with a permanent-return directive or rewrite rule. The configuration vocabulary differs, so use the documentation for the exact server version and verify the live response with the testing procedure below. Do not substitute a DNS CNAME for the HTTP rule.
301 or 308: choose based on the request method
| Status | Permanent meaning | Method behavior | When it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
301 Moved Permanently |
Signals that the resource has a new permanent URI and that future references should use it | Clients are not required to keep the original method; many change a POST into a GET | Most ordinary page, asset, and GET-based subdomain moves |
308 Permanent Redirect |
Permanent redirect semantics | The user agent must not change the request method | When POST or another non-GET request can reach the subdomain and must arrive at the destination with its method intact |
For a read-only game landing page, documentation site, or retired blog, a 301 is usually the expected choice. If the old subdomain accepts form submissions, API calls, webhooks, or other POST requests, evaluate a 308 instead of assuming a 301 will preserve them.
Test before making the redirect permanent
Permanent responses can be cached heuristically. A browser or intermediary may retain a 301 even when you later change the rule, and clearing that cached response is difficult for visitors. Test the endpoint while you still have an easy recovery path, then publish the permanent status only after the destination and path policy are correct.
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Check the root URL
curl -I https://old.example.comThe headers should show an HTTP 301 status and a Location header whose value exactly matches the intended destination. A response such as 200 OK means the server is serving content instead of redirecting; a missing Location value leaves the client without a target.
Check a representative path
curl -I https://old.example.com/example-pathCompare the returned Location with your chosen policy. It should be the one fixed URL for a single-destination rule, or the corresponding destination path for a path-preserving rule. Test several important legacy paths when the subdomain previously hosted content.
Check both schemes and host variants
- Request the HTTPS hostname if users are likely to type or follow HTTPS links.
- Request HTTP as well if it is still reachable, and confirm whether the provider or server handles it consistently.
- Test the exact hostname you configured; a rule for
old.example.comdoes not automatically cover another subdomain.
Test method-sensitive traffic
If the old endpoint accepted POST requests, test with a representative request in a safe environment and inspect whether the destination receives the intended method. A 301 may be followed as a GET by a client; choose 308 when preserving the method is required.
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The CNAME exists, but visitors stay on the old host
This is expected when DNS is the only change. Keep the DNS record if it points traffic to the correct server, but add an HTTP forwarding rule or server-side redirect that returns 301.
The browser reports a certificate error before redirecting
The request did not reach the HTTP redirect because TLS failed first. Install a certificate for the source subdomain or use a forwarding provider that serves one. Confirm coverage for the exact hostname, not merely the parent domain.
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The response is 200 instead of 301
Another virtual host, an application route, or a provider’s ordinary hosting target may be answering the request. Inspect the server’s host configuration and ensure the forwarding rule is enabled for the source subdomain.
The destination repeats the redirect
A loop occurs when the source and destination rules point back to each other, or when the destination hostname is also caught by the source rule. Make the source and destination distinct in the configuration and test each hostname separately.
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Paths land on the wrong page
The forwarding service may discard paths, or a rewrite rule may append one when you wanted a single fixed URL. Test the root and a non-root path, then change the provider’s path option or the server rule to match the intended policy.
A later change appears to have no effect
Check the live response with curl -I from a clean environment and account for cached 301 responses. Because permanent redirects can be stored heuristically, visitors may continue following the old Location value after you have corrected the server.
Quick Recap
Operational checklist
- Define whether every path maps to one URL or whether paths carry over.
- Use an HTTP forwarding feature or a web server; do not rely on DNS alone.
- Choose 301 for a permanent move when method preservation is not required.
- Choose 308 when POST or another non-GET method must remain unchanged.
- Ensure the source hostname has a working HTTPS certificate if HTTPS requests are expected.
- Confirm the response contains status 301 (or 308) and the correct Location header.
- Test the root URL, a representative path, and each scheme users may request.
- Check for loops, unintended path changes, and cached results before announcing the permanent move.
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