ProRank SEO

Import & Export Redirects

Bulk manage redirects using CSV files for easy migration and backup

Overview

The Import/Export feature allows you to manage redirects in bulk using CSV (Comma-Separated Values) files. This is perfect for migrating redirects between sites, creating backups, or managing large redirect lists in spreadsheet applications like Excel or Google Sheets.

Key Benefits

  • Backup all redirects before major changes
  • Migrate redirects between sites
  • Bulk create hundreds of redirects
  • Edit redirects in spreadsheet software
  • Share redirect lists with team members
  • Version control redirect configurations

CSV File Format

Required CSV Structure

The CSV file must include these columns in the exact order:

ColumnNameRequiredDescriptionExample
1source_urlYesURL to redirect from/old-page
2target_urlYesURL to redirect to/new-page
3typeYesHTTP status code301
4is_regexNoRegex pattern (Pro+)0 or 1
5statusNoActive or inactiveactive
6priorityNoProcessing order0
7notesNoDescription/notesMigration 2024

Example CSV Files

Basic Redirects

source_url,target_url,type,is_regex,status,priority,notes
/old-home,/,301,0,active,0,Homepage redirect
/about-us,/about,301,0,active,0,Simplified URL
/blog/old-post,/blog/new-post,301,0,active,0,Updated post URL
/products,/shop,302,0,active,0,Temporary redirect
/contact.html,/contact,301,0,active,0,Remove .html extension

Regex Patterns (Pro+)

source_url,target_url,type,is_regex,status,priority,notes
^/old-category/(.*)$,/new-category/$1,301,1,active,100,Category migration
^/[0-9]{4}/[0-9]{2}/(.*)$,/blog/$1,301,1,active,90,Date-based to flat URLs
^(.*).html$,$1,301,1,active,80,Remove all .html extensions
^/tag/(.*)$,/topic/$1,301,1,active,70,Tag to topic rename

Mixed Types

source_url,target_url,type,is_regex,status,priority,notes
/summer-sale,/products,302,0,active,999,High priority seasonal
/wp-admin,/login,301,0,active,0,Custom login page
^/author/(.*)$,/team/$1,301,1,active,50,Author pages moved
/old-file.pdf,https://cdn.example.com/file.pdf,301,0,active,0,Moved to CDN
/beta,/,302,0,inactive,0,Beta site redirect (disabled)

Exporting Redirects

Export Process

  1. Navigate to Redirect ManagerGo to ProRank SEO → Technical SEO → Redirect Manager
  2. Apply Filters (Optional)Filter redirects if you only want to export specific ones
  3. Click "Export CSV"Located in the toolbar above the redirect list
  4. Choose Export Options
    All redirects
    Filtered redirects only
    Selected redirects
  5. Download FileFile will be named: redirects-export-YYYY-MM-DD.csv

Export includes hit statistics and timestamps for analysis in spreadsheet software.

Importing Redirects

Import Process

  1. Prepare Your CSV FileEnsure it follows the required format shown above
  2. Click "Import CSV"Located in the Redirect Manager toolbar
  3. Select Import Mode
    Append:

    Add new redirects, skip existing source URLs

    Update:

    Update existing redirects, add new ones

    Replace:

    Delete all existing, import new (dangerous!)

  4. Upload FileClick "Choose File" and select your CSV
  5. Review PreviewCheck the preview of redirects to be imported
  6. Confirm ImportClick "Import Redirects" to complete the process

Validation & Error Handling

Common Import Errors

Invalid CSV Format

Missing required columns or wrong order

Solution: Download sample CSV and match format exactly

Invalid URLs

Source or target URLs are malformed

Solution: Ensure URLs start with / or http://

Invalid Redirect Type

Type must be 301, 302, 307, or 308

Solution: Check type column for valid values

Regex Syntax Error

Invalid regular expression pattern

Solution: Test regex patterns before import

Duplicate Source URLs

Same source URL appears multiple times

Solution: Remove duplicates or use Update mode

Validation Rules

  • • Source URLs must be unique (no duplicates)
  • • URLs should not create redirect loops
  • • Regex patterns must compile without errors
  • • Priority must be 0-999
  • • Status must be "active" or "inactive"
  • • File size limit: 5MB
  • • Maximum rows: 10,000 (configurable)

Best Practices

Do's

  • ✓ Export backup before major imports
  • ✓ Test imports on staging first
  • ✓ Use UTF-8 encoding for CSV files
  • ✓ Validate URLs before import
  • ✓ Use notes field for documentation
  • ✓ Check for redirect chains after import

Don'ts

  • ✗ Don't use Replace mode without backup
  • ✗ Don't import untested regex patterns
  • ✗ Don't exceed 10,000 redirects at once
  • ✗ Don't include sensitive data in notes
  • ✗ Don't import redirects to 404 pages
  • ✗ Don't skip validation warnings

Advanced Tips

Spreadsheet Formulas

Use Excel/Google Sheets formulas to generate redirects:

# Remove .html from all URLs
=CONCATENATE(A2,",",SUBSTITUTE(A2,".html",""),",301,0,active,0,Remove HTML")

# Add www to all URLs
=CONCATENATE(A2,",","https://www.",MID(A2,9,LEN(A2)),",301,0,active,0,Add www")

# Create blog redirects
=CONCATENATE("/blog/",A2,",/articles/",A2,",301,0,active,0,Blog migration")

Batch Processing

For large redirect lists:

  • • Split into multiple CSV files (1000 rows each)
  • • Import during low-traffic periods
  • • Use priority to control processing order
  • • Monitor server resources during import

Troubleshooting

Character Encoding: Always save CSV files as UTF-8 to prevent issues with special characters. In Excel, use "Save As" → "CSV UTF-8".

Large Files: For files over 5MB, consider using database import or WP-CLI commands instead of the web interface.

Related Documentation

Managing Redirects

Create and edit individual redirects

Regex Redirects

Advanced pattern matching (Pro+)