Import WordPress redirects from CSV: a safe checklist

Treat a redirect CSV as a proposed change, not a file to upload blindly. Start with an export from the installed plugin so that the column names match its supported format. Preview a small sample before committing a larger import.

Prepare the mapping

For each old path, identify a useful destination. Keep source paths local to the site and choose the response deliberately. A 410 entry has no destination. Do not mix an unrelated plugin's CSV columns into the native format and assume similarly named fields mean the same thing. Native CSV needs unique source and destination headers. Since 0.5.5, RedirectNest checks the headers even when a file has no data rows, so missing or unsupported columns need to be corrected before importing.

RedirectNest Free includes native basic CSV import and export. In 0.5.6, Free also offers reviewed basic exact-rule conversions from Redirection JSON. Rank Math exports can be previewed in Free, but importing their trailing-slash matching requires Pro. Simple 301 exports are available for conversion review; differences in encoded-path matching mean they require a manually prepared mapping in either edition. In RedirectNest → Redirects → Import & export, select Import format and Export file, then choose Preview import. The Supported formats and conversion differences explanation expands below the upload fields. Inspect the preview before confirming. An exact-looking source is not enough: nondefault query or matching options can make a row advanced. Redirection's exact-query mode remains advanced even when its source contains no query parameters.

Competitor conversions do not guarantee identical matching. Redirection and Rank Math decode incoming URLs; RedirectNest matches literal paths, so /old and /%6Fld are not treated as identical. Review the warning and select the initially unchecked conversion acknowledgement before importing. Native CSV has no extra conversion acknowledgement. Test encoded variants before cutover, and prepare a deliberate manual mapping if you need the original behavior. Unsupported rows still block the whole import.

Supported regex, query and other advanced matching imports require activated Pro. Unsupported conditions or fields must be resolved; the importer does not silently turn them into simpler rules. An adapter does not guarantee support for every historical export from another plugin.

Review before publishing

• Keep an independent backup and a current export of the rules.
• Prepare two or three representative rows first.
• Include a normal move, a query-preservation example if needed, and any intentional 410.
• Inspect the preview for duplicate sources, invalid destinations and unexpected replacements.
• Correct the source file and preview again when a row is rejected.
• Confirm the intended changes only after the preview matches your plan.

Do not work around an import error by repeatedly uploading the same file. A rejected row should be understood before it is changed. RedirectNest limits imports to below 2 MB and rules to 5,000, including at most 200 advanced rules; split the planning work rather than assuming the plugin will accept an unlimited migration.

Verify the result

Open representative old URLs and inspect their first response and final destination. Confirm that unrelated existing rules still work. Keep a dated record of the import and the source file used, without putting private tokens or customer records into it.

Free includes confirmed bulk enable, pause and delete for selected rules; bulk group changes require activated Pro. Pro also adds saved migration drafts, before-and-after rule diffs, destination HTTP checks and verification reports. These tools help review a larger migration beyond the import preview.

A retained rule snapshot can help undo a rule change, but it is not a complete website backup and does not clear caches. Read CSV import and export, migration workspaces and rule recovery before a major change.