How it Works

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Automatic Detection:
When a visitor or search engine tries to access a singular post or page URL that no longer exists (returns a 404 error), Smart Redirects automatically checks if that content type has Smart Redirects enabled in the settings.

Archive Redirect:
If enabled for that post type, the system automatically creates a 301 (permanent) redirect from the broken URL to the post type’s archive page. This happens in real-time, without any manual intervention.

How It Works Step by Step:

StepAction
1Visitor clicks a link to /blog/old-post-that-was-deleted/
2WordPress returns a 404 error because the post doesn’t exist
3Smart Redirects detects the 404 and checks if Posts have Smart Redirects enabled
4Since enabled, Smart Redirects creates a 301 redirect to /blog/
5Visitor is automatically sent to the blog archive page

Real-World Examples:

Original Broken URLRedirects To
/case-studies/broken-slug//case-studies/
/blog/deleted-post//blog/
/products/old-item//products/
/news/outdated-article//news/
/portfolio/old-project//portfolio/

Per Post Type Control:
You have granular control over which content types use Smart Redirects. For example:

  • ✅ Enable for Posts → Blog posts redirect to blog archive
  • ✅ Enable for Products → Products redirect to shop archive
  • ❌ Disable for Pages → Deleted pages show normal 404 (if no page archive exists)

Management Options:
Once Smart Redirects are enabled and running, you can:

ActionDescription
View RecordsSee all automatically created redirects in a table
Toggle StatusTurn individual redirects on/off without deleting
Delete RecordsRemove a redirect record (also deletes the linked redirect)
Reset All RecordsDelete every Smart Redirect at once
Reset by Post TypeDelete only redirects for a specific post type (e.g., all Post redirects)

Integration with Redirection Manager:
All redirects created by Smart Redirects automatically appear in the SEO Repair Kit → Redirection Manager. This gives you a centralized place to view, edit, or delete any redirect — whether created manually or automatically.

What Cannot Be Redirected:
Post types without archive pages cannot use Smart Redirects. Examples include:

  • Pages (if your theme doesn’t have a page archive)
  • Custom post types where has_archive is set to false
  • Any content type without a public archive URL

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