Skip to content

Guide, checked November 2026

How to redirect a Namecheap domain, https:// included

Namecheap’s URL Redirect record forwards http:// requests at no cost. It does not put a certificate on the domain you are redirecting, so a visitor who follows an https:// link to it gets a browser warning instead of your new site. This page covers the setup, a two line test, and three ways to fix the HTTPS half.

Start free trialTest a redirect now
olddomain.com, forwarded by NamecheapResult
  • http://olddomain.com301 to new siteWorks
  • https://olddomain.comNo certificateFails
  • https://olddomain.com/pricingNo certificateFails

Short version

The built in redirect is fine when the old domain only ever received http:// traffic and everything goes to one address. If the domain was ever served over HTTPS, is printed on anything, or has old pages that should land on matching new pages, its DNS needs to point at a redirect host that holds a certificate for it. Cloudflare can do that for free if you move the domain’s nameservers there. SiteDetour does it without a nameserver change, from $12 a month.

Written by the SiteDetour team. Namecheap behavior checked against Namecheap’s knowledge base on 10 November 2026.

Trusted by universities, government agencies, credit unions and brands since 2019

  • Hard Rock Hotels
  • UNIQLO
  • Major League Baseball
  • Whole Foods
  • University of New Mexico
  • University of Illinois Chicago
  • NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
  • Florida Today
  • British Rail Engineering
  • IR Energy Systems

Set up the redirect in Namecheap

Five minutes, no hosting needed. The domain has to use Namecheap BasicDNS, PremiumDNS or FreeDNS.

  1. Open Advanced DNS

    Sign in, go to Domain List, click Manage next to the domain, then open the Advanced DNS tab.

  2. Add a URL Redirect Record

    Under Host Records, click Add New Record and pick URL Redirect Record. Use @ as the host for the bare domain and enter the full destination, starting with https://.

  3. Pick the redirect type

    Choose Permanent (301) for a domain that has moved for good. Unmasked is a 302. Skip Masked: Namecheap’s own documentation says URL frames are bad for SEO, and many sites block them.

  4. Repeat for www

    Add a second URL Redirect Record with www as the host. Without it, www.olddomain.com is not covered.

  5. Remove conflicts and wait

    Delete any A, CNAME or ALIAS record on the same host. Namecheap says a new redirect starts working within about 30 minutes.

Namecheap adds a hidden A record that points the host at its forwarding server. You will not see it in the list. It goes away when you delete the redirect record.

What the built in redirect covers

Taken from Namecheap’s knowledge base, next to a hosted redirect on SiteDetour.

Through Namecheap URL RedirectNo certificate on the old domain
  • http://olddomain.comworks:301 to new site
  • https://olddomain.comfails:certificate error
  • https://olddomain.com/pricingfails:certificate error
Through SiteDetourCertificate issued and renewed for every domain
  • http://olddomain.comworks:301 to new site
  • https://olddomain.comworks:301 to new site
  • https://olddomain.com/pricingworks:301, path forwarded
http:// requests
Namecheap URL RedirectRedirected
SiteDetourRedirected
https:// requests
Namecheap URL RedirectNo certificate on the old domain. Namecheap says an HTTPS to HTTPS redirect needs a certificate on both domains.
SiteDetourCertificate issued and renewed for every domain
Redirect types
Namecheap URL Redirect301, 302, masked frame
SiteDetour301, 302, 307
Destinations
Namecheap URL RedirectOne per host record
SiteDetourRules per path, with path and query forwarding
Where DNS lives
Namecheap URL RedirectMust be Namecheap DNS
SiteDetourAny provider. You add an A record or a CNAME.
Traffic reports
Namecheap URL RedirectNone in the DNS panel
SiteDetourHits, countries, referrers and devices, live
Cost
Namecheap URL RedirectIncluded with the domain
SiteDetourFrom $12 a month for 5 domains

Test both halves before you trust it

Run these from any terminal. Replace olddomain.com with yours.

Terminal
$ curl -sI http://olddomain.com | head -3HTTP/1.1 301 Moved PermanentlyLocation: https://www.newsite.com/$ curl -sI https://olddomain.com | head -3curl: (60) SSL: no alternative certificate subject namematches target host name 'olddomain.com'

The first command should print a 301 and your destination. If the second prints a certificate error like the one above, or hangs, visitors on https:// are not being redirected. If you have no terminal handy, paste the address into the free redirect checker and read the chain.

Typed addresses usually recover, because browsers fall back to http:// when the secure attempt fails. Links, bookmarks and printed QR codes that contain https:// do not. Those visitors see the warning page and most of them leave.

Three ways to cover https://

All three work. They differ in what you have to move and what you get back.

  • Hosting and a certificate at Namecheap

    Put the old domain on a hosting plan, install a certificate, and redirect with an .htaccess rule. This is the route Namecheap’s article describes. It works, and you now pay for and maintain hosting for a domain that only redirects.

    Fits: one or two domains you already host.

  • Cloudflare, free

    Move the domain’s nameservers to Cloudflare, add proxied A records to 192.0.2.1 for @ and www, and create a Redirect Rule. Cloudflare issues the certificate and can keep the path and query string. Each domain is its own zone with its own rule.

    Fits: a few domains and someone at home in the Cloudflare dashboard.

  • SiteDetour

    Leave DNS at Namecheap. Add the domain in SiteDetour, copy the A record and CNAME it shows you into Advanced DNS, and click Acquire SSL certificate. Path rules, CSV import, hit reports and team roles sit in one screen for every domain you own.

    Fits: many domains, non technical colleagues, or redirects you have to report on.

Move a Namecheap redirect to SiteDetour

About ten minutes per domain, most of it waiting for DNS.

  1. Create the redirect

    In SiteDetour, open Redirects and click Create New. Enter olddomain.com as the domain, set the destination, and tick Include www subdomain.

  2. Copy the DNS values

    Click View DNS Instructions. The panel lists the A records for the bare domain and the CNAME target for subdomains. Keep it open.

  3. Swap the records in Namecheap

    In Advanced DNS, delete the URL Redirect Records for @ and www. Add the records from the panel in their place.

  4. Issue the certificate

    Back in SiteDetour, click Acquire SSL certificate once DNS has updated. Subdomains usually update within five minutes. Bare domains can take up to 24 hours, depending on the old TTL.

  5. Run the test again

    Both curl commands should now print a 301. Renewals happen on their own after that.

Start free trialRead the full setup article

Questions that come up

Does Namecheap URL forwarding work with HTTPS?
It forwards to an https:// destination. It does not answer on https:// for the domain being forwarded, because the redirect record does not give that domain a certificate. Namecheap’s knowledge base says a redirect between two HTTPS addresses needs a certificate on both domains.
Why does my forwarded domain say "Your connection is not private"?
The browser asked for https://olddomain.com and the server that answered has no certificate for that name. The secure connection fails before any redirect can run. Serve the old domain from somewhere that holds a certificate for it, or point it at a redirect host that issues one.
Will a 301 from Namecheap carry my search rankings over?
A 301 is the right signal and search engines follow it. Two things lose value in practice: old https:// URLs that never reach the redirect, and every old page landing on the new home page when it should land on its matching page. Check both.
Can I keep DNS at Namecheap and still redirect over HTTPS?
Yes. Replace the URL Redirect Record with an A record or CNAME that points at a redirect host. The host answers on http:// and https:// and holds the certificate. SiteDetour works this way. Cloudflare needs the nameservers moved.
How long does a Namecheap redirect take to start?
Namecheap says about 30 minutes for a new URL Redirect Record. Changes to A records and CNAMEs follow the TTL on the old record, which can be a few minutes or a full day.
Do I have to keep paying for the old domain?
Yes, for as long as the redirect should work. If the registration lapses the redirect stops, and anyone can register the name and receive your old traffic. Most teams leave redirected domains on auto renew for years.

The built in redirect is fine when the old domain only ever received http:// traffic. If it was ever served over HTTPS, it needs a redirect host that holds a certificate for it.

Redirect your first domain in about ten minutes

Add the domain, copy the DNS records, and the certificate is issued for you. 14 days free, no credit card.

Start free trialSee pricing
  • 14 day free trial
  • No credit card
  • No traffic metering