Webflow URL Redirects

By:  WISLR Team,  

Last Updated: June 28, 2025

A Better Help Doc

Written and maintained for the brands and agencies who are conducting a site migration. Especially if you are a small team who needs to make every hour count. This guide helps you build a strategy to accurately complete 301 redirects if you’re migrating to Webflow. Specifically, this document can help you if you’re:

  • Migrating from WordPress
  • Migrating from Shopify
  • Migrating from Squarespace
  • Migrating from Wix
  • Migrating from custom CMS platforms
  • Migrating from static HTML sites
  • Consolidating multiple sites into Webflow

If you’re undertaking a project that includes complex 301 redirect mappings and need a team who lives and breathes this specific type of work, chat with us.

Webflow’s URL Redirect Logic: Overview

Webflow’s redirect functionality is tucked away in the Site Settings under the Publishing tab. While the interface appears straightforward, there are critical nuances and limitations that can significantly impact your migration strategy. This report fills the gaps in Webflow’s documentation with practical insights from real-world implementations.

The official Webflow documentation for URL redirects can be found here: Set 301 redirects to maintain SEO ranking. While their guide covers the basics, it lacks specifics on system limitations, bulk import behavior, and technical requirements that are crucial for successful migrations.

Summarized Findings of Webflow’s URL Redirect Functionality

  • Paid plan requirement - Redirects are only available on paid Webflow hosting plans
  • Redirect management is found in Site Settings > Publishing
  • The system requires relative paths for origin URLs
  • Bulk import completely overwrites ALL existing redirects (critical limitation)
  • Multiple redirect hops occur with custom domains
  • Redirects require republishing to activate
  • Import validation catches errors but provides minimal guidance
  • The interface lacks essential data management features
  • We give Webflow’s current URL redirect system a helpfulness score of 50%

The rating was significantly lowered by 20% for the destructive bulk import behavior, by 15% for documentation that’s difficult to find and lacks clarity, by 10% for the multiple redirect hop issue that violates best practices, and by 10% for missing essential information management features.

Testing was conducted on June 28, 2025.

Our Redirect Testing Methodology

We wanted to answer critical questions about Webflow’s redirect system to help you avoid costly mistakes:

  • What are the exact path format requirements?
  • How does the bulk import actually work?
  • What happens to existing redirects during import?
  • How are errors handled and reported?
  • What causes multiple redirect hops?
  • When do redirects actually become active?

Our tests revealed several undocumented behaviors that significantly impact redirect implementation strategies.

8 Critical Findings for Webflow Redirects

1. Paid Plan Requirement

Unlike some platforms that offer basic redirect functionality on free plans, Webflow requires a paid hosting plan to access any redirect features. You cannot create a redirect without paying.

What this means for your migration:

  • Factor the Webflow plan cost into your migration budget
  • Test redirects on a paid staging site before launch

2. The Webflow Redirect Settings

Webflow’s redirect settings are located in:

Site Settings > Publishing > 301 Redirects

The placement isn’t intuitive. There’s no direct navigation from the Designer or Editor interfaces.

Pro tip: Bookmark the direct URL to your redirect settings once you find them.

3. Path Format Requirements - Precision Matters

Webflow has strict requirements for URL paths:

For “Old Path” (origin URLs):

  • MUST use relative paths starting with forward slash
  • Example: /old-page
  • Cannot use absolute URLs like https://example.com/old-page

For “Redirect to” (destination URLs):

  • Can use relative paths: /new-page
  • Can use absolute URLs: https://example.com/new-page
  • External URLs are supported

Common format errors:

🔴 WRONG - Old Path without leading slash:
old-page

🟢 CORRECT - Old Path with leading slash:
/old-page

🔴 WRONG - Old Path with domain:
https://mysite.com/old-page

🟢 CORRECT - Old Path relative only:
/old-page

4. The Bulk Import Option - Handle with Care

WARNING: Webflow’s bulk import feature completely overwrites ALL existing redirects. This is not an append operation - it’s a complete replacement.

This behavior is poorly documented and can cause lost work. Here’s how to avoid missteps:

Safe bulk import process:

  1. ALWAYS export existing redirects first
  2. Add new redirects to the exported file
  3. Validate the complete list
  4. Import the combined file
  5. Verify all redirects are present after import

What happens if you forget:

  • All existing redirects are permanently deleted
  • No undo option is available
  • You’ll need to recreate lost redirects manually

5. Import File Format - Keep It Simple

Webflow requires a specific CSV format for bulk imports:

Requirements:

  • Exactly two columns
  • Headers can be anything (Webflow ignores them)
  • First column: old paths
  • Second column: redirect destinations
  • UTF-8 encoding recommended

Example CSV format:

Create a CSV file with this structure:

Old Path Redirect To
/old-page /new-page
/legacy-product https://store.example.com/product
/blog/old-post /blog/new-post

6. Cryptic Error Handling

When your import fails, Webflow provides an error file download. Common errors include:

Redirect chains detected:

  • Error when A redirects to B, and B redirects to C
  • Solution: Create direct redirects (A to C)

Invalid path formats:

  • Missing leading slashes
  • Absolute URLs in old path column
  • Special characters that need encoding

Duplicate entries:

  • Same old path appears multiple times
  • Webflow uses the last occurrence

The error messages are minimal, often just indicating the row number with an issue. Plan time for troubleshooting.

7. The Redirect Hop for Custom Domains

This is where Webflow’s architecture shows its limitations. When using custom domains, you can experience up to 3 redirect hops:

Example scenario:

  1. User visits: example.com/old-page
  2. 301 redirect hop to www.example.com/old-page
  3. 301 redirect hop to newsite.io/old-page
  4. Final 200 page loads www.newsite.io/old-page

Why this matters:

  • Each hop adds latency (100-300ms per hop)
  • Search engines may not follow all hops
  • Violates the “no more than 2 hops” best practice
  • Can impact SEO performance

Mitigation strategies:

  • Consider DNS-level redirects for www to non-www
  • Monitor redirect chains with tools like Screaming Frog

8. Activation Requires Publishing - The Final Step

Adding redirects to Webflow’s interface doesn’t make them live immediately. You must:

  1. Add/import your redirects
  2. Review the redirect list
  3. Click “Publish” to push changes live
  4. Wait for propagation (usually instant, can take up to 5 minutes)

Best Practices and Recommendations

Do’s:

  • Always backup existing redirects before bulk import
  • Test redirects on staging before production
  • Monitor 404 errors after migration
  • Document your redirect strategy
  • Use relative paths consistently
  • Batch imports for easier troubleshooting

Don’ts:

  • Never bulk import without backing up first
  • Don’t assume redirects are live without publishing
  • Avoid creating redirect chains
  • Never use absolute URLs in the old path field

In Conclusion

Webflow’s redirect system, while functional, has significant limitations that can impact large-scale migrations. The destructive bulk import behavior and multiple redirect hop issues make it less suitable for enterprise-level migrations compared to platforms like Shopify.

The 50% helpfulness score reflects these substantial limitations. However, with careful planning and the strategies outlined in this guide, you can successfully implement redirects in Webflow while avoiding the most common pitfalls.

If you’re undertaking a project that includes complex 301 redirect mappings and need a team who lives and breathes this specific type of work, chat with us.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, URL redirect functionality is only available on paid Webflow plans. You cannot create or manage redirects on the free plan. This is one of the key limitations to consider when planning a migration to Webflow.

Where can I find the redirect settings in Webflow?

Navigate to Site Settings > Publishing tab. The 301 Redirects section is located there. You’ll need to have a paid plan and proper permissions to access these settings.

What path formats does Webflow accept for redirects?

Webflow requires relative paths (starting with /) for origin URLs in the ‘Old Path’ field. For destination URLs in the ‘Redirect to’ field, you can use either relative paths or absolute URLs.

Does the bulk import feature preserve existing redirects?

No, this is critical: Webflow’s bulk import completely overwrites ALL existing redirects. Always download your current redirects first and include them in your import file to preserve them.

What file format does Webflow require for bulk redirect imports?

Webflow requires a CSV file with two columns. The header row can contain any values - the system automatically detects and validates the two-column format. The first column should contain old paths, the second column the redirect destinations.

What happens if there are errors in my bulk import file?

If Webflow detects errors like redirect chains or invalid paths, the entire import will fail. Webflow provides an error file download that shows which rows have issues, allowing you to fix and re-import.

Why do I see multiple redirect hops with custom domains?

When using custom domains that redirect to the default Webflow domain, up to 3 redirect hops can occur. Webflow checks the original URL path, then processes non-www and www versions for both custom and default domains. This violates best practices but is how Webflow’s system operates.

When do redirects become active after adding them?

Redirects only become active after you republish your Webflow site. Simply adding redirects to the dashboard doesn’t activate them - you must click the publish button for changes to take effect.

Is there a limit to how many redirects I can add in Webflow?

Webflow doesn’t publicly document a hard limit, but performance can degrade with thousands of redirects. The bulk import system may also timeout with very large files. We recommend importing in batches of 500-1000 redirects.

Can I redirect to external URLs in Webflow?

Yes, you can redirect to external URLs by entering the full absolute URL (including https://) in the ‘Redirect to’ field. This is useful for redirecting old pages to resources on different domains.

How does Webflow handle redirect chains?

Webflow attempts to prevent redirect chains during import by validating your rules. However, chains can still occur if you create individual redirects over time. Regular audits are recommended to identify and fix any chains that develop.