Domain Forwarding in Plesk
When you’re setting up domain forwarding in Plesk Panel, it’s crucial to ensure everything is done correctly. Even small mistakes can lead to broken redirects, unhappy users, or worse, SEO issues. Let’s go through some of the most common mistakes you might make, and how to fix them.
Table of Contents
Forgetting to Enable Domain Forwarding
One of the most basic mistakes is forgetting to actually turn on the forwarding feature. After you add your domain in Plesk, it doesn’t automatically set up the forwarding. If you skip this step, your domain won’t redirect anywhere, and users will get an error page instead.
Fix:
After adding the domain, go into your Hosting Settings and set the domain’s hosting type to Forwarding. This will ensure that your domain starts redirecting visitors to the correct destination.
Choosing the Wrong Redirect Type
There are two main types of redirects you can use in Plesk: 301 Permanent and 302 Temporary. The wrong choice here can affect how search engines treat your domain. A 301 tells search engines that the change is permanent and helps preserve SEO value. A 302 is for temporary redirects, like during a short-term promotion.
Fix:
If your forwarding is permanent, use 301. If it’s just for a short time, use 302. Getting this right is important for SEO and user experience.
Typos in the Target URL
A typo in the target URL is a simple yet common mistake that can completely ruin your forwarding setup. For example, missing “https://” or typing the domain name incorrectly can cause the redirect to fail.
Fix:
Always double-check the URL you are redirecting to. Make sure it’s complete and correctly spelled. Test it by entering the domain in your browser to verify the redirect works.
Ignoring SSL (HTTPS)
If your target domain doesn’t have an SSL certificate (the “https” part), browsers will warn users that the connection is not secure. This can discourage people from proceeding and hurt your website’s trustworthiness.
Fix:
Make sure the target domain has an SSL certificate installed and that you are forwarding to the https version of the site. This ensures a secure connection for your users.
Not Configuring Subdomains
If you’re forwarding subdomains (like blog.example.com), it’s easy to forget that each subdomain needs its own forwarding setup. Simply forwarding the main domain won’t automatically apply to subdomains.
Fix:
Each subdomain you want to forward should be set up with its own forwarding configuration in Plesk. Don’t assume that the main domain’s settings will apply to all subdomains.
Not Testing the Forwarding Setup
It’s easy to assume everything works perfectly after setting up forwarding, but many users skip the testing phase. This can lead to broken redirects or incorrect destinations, especially if there’s a mistake in the URL or settings.
Fix:
Always test the forwarding after setting it up. Enter the domain into your browser and check if it redirects properly. Use tools to verify the type of redirect and make sure everything works smoothly.
Misconfigured DNS Settings
Incorrect DNS settings can prevent your forwarding from working properly. If the domain isn’t correctly pointing to the server that handles the forwarding, visitors won’t be redirected as expected.
Fix:
Ensure that the DNS records for your domain are set up correctly. This includes checking the A record or CNAME and making sure they point to the right server for forwarding.
Final Thoughts
Setting up domain forwarding in Plesk Panel doesn’t have to be difficult, but small mistakes can lead to big problems. By paying attention to these common pitfalls—such as forgetting to enable forwarding, using the wrong redirect type, making URL typos, ignoring SSL, and failing to test your setup—you can avoid errors that impact your users and SEO.
Take your time to follow the correct steps, double-check everything, and test your configuration. Doing so will ensure that your domain forwarding works seamlessly, keeping your website professional and user-friendly.