This post will show how to use .htaccess to move a website to a new domain, especially when using Bluehost.

A couple of days ago, as I set up this website, jonathanlee.org, I struggled to set up a 301 redirect from my previous domain, jonathanleeonline.com.  My hosting is with Bluehost, and they offer a domain redirection tool – but it does not work with addon domains.

Specifically, if I own both oldsite.com and newsite.com, and both are registered with a single bluehost account, oldsite.com is the primary domain, and newsite.com is an add-on domain – and is set up as newsite.oldsite.com (although newsite.com also works).  It’s stupid.

But as a result, Bluehost’s regular domain redirection tool and does not work.  Technical support tells me I have to modify my .htaccess file, but refuses to give any guidance on how to do so.

I couldn’t find any turn-key solutions via Google searching, so I did some researched, and wrote my own .htaccess solution.  And I’m posting the solution online, to help out others.

Continue reading How to set up .htaccess for 301 Redirects for Bluehost Addon Domains →