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Managing Search Terms & Redirects

This guide explains how to manage search terms, redirect customer searches, and create permanent (301) URL redirects in Magento 2.

Before you begin

  • You must have access to the Magento Admin.
  • If the website has multiple store views, confirm which store view the change should apply to.
  • For category navigation managed by NCompass, create the department or category in NCompass first and allow the synchronisation process to create it in Magento.

Important: Search term redirects and URL rewrites serve different purposes. Use a search term redirect when a customer enters a particular phrase in the website search. Use a URL rewrite when an existing page address must send visitors to a different page.

1. Add a search term

Search terms can improve the customer journey by directing common queries to more relevant results or a specific landing page.

  1. Sign in to the Magento Admin.
  2. From the sidebar, go to Marketing > SEO & Search > Search Terms.
  3. Select Add New Search Term.
  4. Complete the fields under General Information:
    • Search Query: Enter the word or phrase customers are expected to search for.
    • Store View: Select the store view to which the term applies.
    • Redirect URL: Optional. Enter the destination URL if the query should open a particular page instead of displaying normal search results. This may be an internal page or a full external URL.
    • Display in Suggested Terms: Set this to Yes if the term should be suggested when a search returns no results.
  5. Select Save Search.
Example

A search query such as televisions could redirect customers to the main television category page.

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2. Edit an existing search term

  1. Go to Marketing > SEO & Search > Search Terms.
  2. Select the relevant row in the Search Terms grid to open it.
  3. Update the required fields.
  4. Select Save Search.

3. Delete a search term

A search term can be deleted from either the grid or its edit page.

Option A: Delete from the grid
  1. Go to Marketing > SEO & Search > Search Terms.
  2. Select the checkbox beside the term.
  3. Set Actions to Delete.
  4. Select Submit and confirm the deletion if prompted.
Option B: Delete from the edit page
  1. Open the relevant search term from the Search Terms grid.
  2. Select Delete Search.
  3. Select OK to confirm.

4. Search Terms grid reference

Column Description
Search Query The word or phrase used to perform the search.
Store The store view in which the query applies.
Results The number of results returned for the query.
Uses The number of times the query has been used.
Redirect URL The destination page used when the query is redirected.
Suggested Terms Shows whether the query can appear as a suggested term.
Actions Opens the search term for editing.

5. Create a permanent 301 URL redirect

Use a URL rewrite when an old or alternative URL must permanently direct visitors to a new destination. A permanent 301 redirect also tells search engines that the page has moved.

Step 1: Identify the destination
  1. Open the destination page on the website.
  2. Copy the part of its URL that appears after the domain name. For example, from https://www.example.co.uk/televisions.html, copy televisions.html.
  3. In Magento Admin, go to Marketing > SEO & Search > URL Rewrites.
  4. Search the Request Path column for the copied value.
  5. Open the matching rewrite and note its Target Path. A category target may resemble catalog/category/view/id/2966.

Step 2: Add the redirect

  1. Return to the URL Rewrites grid and select Add URL Rewrite.
  2. Set Create URL Rewrite to Custom.
  3. Complete the following fields:
    • Request Path: Enter the old address that should redirect. Do not include the domain name or a leading slash. Example: old-televisions.html.
    • Target Path: Enter the destination. For a Magento category, use the target path identified above. For another internal page, use its relative URL key or path. For an external website, enter the complete URL, including https://.
    • Redirect Type: Select Permanent (301).
    • Store View: Select the appropriate store view if this field is available.
    • Description: Optional, but recommended. Briefly record why the redirect was created.
  4. Select Save.

Internal links: Use a relative path rather than the full website domain where possible. This prevents the redirect from becoming tied to the current domain name.

Step 3: Clear the cache and test

  1. Go to System > Cache Management.
  2. Select Flush Magento Cache.
  3. Open a private or incognito browser window.
  4. Visit the old URL and confirm that it opens the intended destination.
  5. Confirm that the browser does not enter a redirect loop and that the destination page loads normally.

Troubleshooting

The old URL returns a 404 page
  • Confirm that the Request Path does not contain the domain name or a leading slash.
  • Check that the rewrite was created for the correct store view.
  • Flush the Magento cache and test again.
The redirect opens the wrong page
  • Check the Target Path against the URL rewrite belonging to the intended destination.
  • Search the URL Rewrites grid for another entry using the same Request Path.
  • For external destinations, confirm that the full URL includes https://.
The redirect loops
  • Ensure the Request Path and Target Path do not resolve to the same address.
  • Check whether another Magento, web-server, or CDN redirect points back to the original URL.

Completion checklist

  • The correct store view has been selected.
  • The Request Path contains no domain name or leading slash.
  • The Target Path points to the intended internal page or complete external URL.
  • The redirect type is Permanent (301).
  • The Magento cache has been flushed.
  • The old URL has been tested in a private browser window.
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