Ensuring your users land exactly where they should – securely and efficiently – is critical, especially as URLs change, brands evolve, or security standards demand HTTPS. That is where redirects come in, guiding web traffic from one address to another. With IBM NS1 Connect, managing URL redirects, becomes seamless, secure and smart.
HTTP redirects are a way to automatically forward users from one URL to another. When a browser tries to access a particular URL, the server responds with a special status code that tells the browser to go to a new location. Whether you are migrating content, rebranding, or consolidating domains, HTTP redirects ensure that traffic flows smoothly to the correct destination – without requiring users to update bookmarks or links.
HTTP redirects are configured directly in NS1 Connect, allowing you to steer traffic from a source URL to a target location using standard HTTP protocols. You can define forwarding types, path forwarding modes, and query string behavior to match your needs.
What are HTTPS Redirects?
HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) redirects function like HTTP redirects, but over a secure SSL/TLS connection. When users visit a https// URL, or when a browser automatically upgrade to HTTPS (as most now do), they first attempt to establish a secure connection before any redirect can occur. If the redirect server doesn’t support HTTPS, the connection fails and the user sees an error. This makes HTTPS support essential, even if the redirect doesn’t involve sensitive data.
With modern browsers defaulting to HTTPS and enforcing stricter security standards, ensuring your redirects support secure connections is critical for availability, trust and SEO. In NS1 Connect, you can configure HTTPS redirects, manage SSL certificates and monitor performance – all in one place.
Why do URL Redirects matter?
HTTP and HTTPS Redirects may seem like a minor operational detail, but they have major implications for:
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Operational Flexibility – whether you are rebranding, consolidating services, migrating to the cloud or restructuring URLs, redirects let you make changes behind the scenes without disrupting users or breaking applications.
For enterprises managing complex, multi-cloud or globally distributed architectures, implementing redirects consistently and at scale can become operationally intensive. NS1 Connect helps simplify this by centralising configuration and management within a single, authoritative platform.
How to use HTTP and HTTPS Redirects
IBM NS1 Connect simplifies redirect management within a unified platform – Within the NS1 Connect platform, you can:
We have recently introduced unlimited HTTP Redirects to all our paid plans and our free developer account. We have also included HTTPS Redirects in all plans, but the volume varies depending on the plan that you have purchased. These changes will be implemented for all users on 22 July 2025.
To begin leveraging HTTP and HTTPS Redirects, simply navigate to the URL Redirects section within your NS1 Connect portal. There you will find intuitive interfaces to configure new redirects, manage existing ones, and integrate with SSL certificate providers.
For step-by-step instructions, visit the NS1 Connect URL Redirects Help Guide.