Knowledgebase

Redirecting domains in IIS is essential for SEO, security, and UX — whether it's from http → https, www → non-www, or one domain to another. Below is a complete technical playbook for handling redirection scenarios in IIS.

Common Redirection Use Cases in IIS

✅ Pre-Requisites

• IIS URL Rewrite Module installed
  Download here

• Website already added in IIS

Method 1: Using IIS URL Rewrite Module (Best Practice)

Step-by-Step: Redirect http → https + www → non-www

1. Open IIS Manager → Select your website.

2. Open URL Rewrite (install if not present).

3. Click Add Rules → Select Blank Rule → Click OK.

4. Name the rule: Force HTTPS and non-www.

In Conditions:

• Click Add Condition

  • Condition input: {HTTPS}

  • Check if input "does not equal" ON

• Click Add Condition

  • Condition input: {HTTP_HOST}

  • Check if input "matches the pattern" ^www\.(.*)$

In Action:

• Action type: Redirect

• Redirect URL: https://{C:1}/{R:1}

• Redirect type: Permanent (301)

✔ This will:

• Redirect all http://www.domain.com/page → https://domain.com/page

• Preserve query strings and SEO rankings

Method 2: IIS Site-Level Redirection (Simple Use Case)

For simple redirection (e.g., domain1.com → domain2.com):

1. In IIS Manager, select the site (e.g., domain1.com).

2. Open HTTP Redirect.

3. Check: "Redirect requests to this destination"

   • Enter: https://www.domain2.com

4. Check:

   • "Only redirect requests to content in this directory"

   • "Status code": 301 Permanent

⚠ This will redirect all traffic from that IIS site to the new domain. Ideal for full-site migration.

Method 3: web.config File Redirection (Advanced Control)

Manually edit the web.config in the site root:

Test the Redirection

Best Practices

• Always use 301 Permanent redirects for SEO.

• Don’t create infinite loops: avoid double bindings (e.g., www/non-www both active without condition filters).

• Keep web.config clean and versioned.

• Validate redirection chain is single-hop, not multi-hop.

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