What is Domain Forwarding?

Domain forwarding is a practical service that lets you to link multiple domain names to the same website. Also known as redirecting, this forwarding process smoothly sends your visitors from one domain to another URL of your choosing.

Think of it like mail forwarding. When you move, you file a change of address with the post office to ensure all the mail still headed to your old address finds its way to your new place. Domain forwarding leaves an official paper trail, so customers and clients can track you down when you get a new domain name.

In this post, we’ll dive into why people use domain forwarding, unravel what domain masking means, and show you how to enable domain forwarding for your needs.

Why use domain forwarding?

You might already be brainstorming how domain forwarding could work wonders for you and your business, but here are just a few reasons why it’s such a popular internet service.

To grow your business

Let’s say that you run a site selling dog food called DogFoodDude.com, but you’ve been developing a new recipe for cats. You can register PetFoodDude.com, and then forward all visitors still using the old domain to the new one. You won’t lose the clients and clicks that are still heading to the original URL.

To catch common typos

If your domain name can be spelled multiple ways, or you find that people are constantly typing in your domain name incorrectly, domain forwarding lets you register all those misspelled domains and have them redirect to the same site.

To merge two websites or audiences together

Maybe your company bought another company and you want to bring all customers to one central site instead of two separate ones. Or you have two domain names aimed at different marketing audiences, but you want everyone to land on the same page. By using domain forwarding, you can retain both sets of customers and send them all to one page.

To get your dream domain name

Many people can’t afford their first-choice domain name right out of the gate when starting a new business. Maybe PetFoodDude.com is owned already by someone, and their price is too steep. You can register PetFoodDude.store or PetFoodDude.net to start with, and once you can afford the .com, redirect customers still using the old link to the new site.

To incorporate a shorter domain “nickname”

Consider a website called RetroTelevisionShows.com. That’s… a long domain name, and it might be hard to read quickly on a billboard or to hear if hollered at you at a party. That site owner could register something like Retro.tv for something short and sweet and forward new visitors to the original website.

To link to your content on YouTube or Etsy (or wherever else)

You can register a unique domain name and then forward visitors to your YouTube, Twitch, Etsy, or Ebay pages. This is so useful for people who want the respectability of an official registered domain name but don’t have the resources to build out a full website.

What is domain masking?

When you simply forward a domain, you are redirecting visitors to a URL you choose, and visitors will be able to see that destination URL in their browser address bar. For example, when Retro.tv sends you to RetroTelevisionShows.com, you’ll see RetroTelevisionShows.com displayed in your browser.

Domain masking allows you to display that redirected URL in the browser’s address bar, even though visitors are landing on a different site. So, if that same retro television service were to employ domain masking, when you clicked on Retro.tv, you’d still see Retro.tv in your browser bar, instead of RetroTelevisionShows.com.

This technique is handy if you want to keep your branding front and center while redirecting visitors to another site. It can also help maintain a clean, professional look. However, it’s worth noting that while domain masking can create a seamless experience for users, it can sometimes lead to confusion, as they may not realize they’re on a different site. It’s important to use it wisely to ensure a positive user experience.

How do I enable domain forwarding?

At Epik, we will happily forward any of your domains at no cost. Here, and elsewhere, the process looks basically like this:

1. Navigate to your domains portfolio or account management page.
2. Select the domain name you want to have forwarded to another site.
3. Select the “Forwarding” or “Domain Forwarding” option.
4. Find the proper field to enter in the URL of the site you want your visitors to land on.
5. Choose whether you would like domain masking.
6. Select the correct status.
   • 301 – Permanent Redirect
     • This indicates that a page has permanently moved to a new location. Search engines will understand that the old URL has been replaced, and you won’t lose that juicy SEO value in search results.
   • 302 – Temporary Redirect
     • This indicates that the page has moved to a new location only temporarily. Search engines don’t need to worry about permanently displaying the new site in place of the old one.
7. Save all changes.

Your forwarding should be active and working within 24 to 48 hours. If you run into any hiccups, try clearing your cache and cookies.

Frequently Asked Questions