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.

RedirectNest Free includes its native basic CSV workflow. Pro adds supported adapters for Redirection, Rank Math and Simple 301 formats. Support for an adapter is not a claim that every historical export from those products is identical; inspect the preview and resolve any rejected rows.

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.

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.