How to Create Redirect Links

Redirect links are short links on your own web portal address that forward visitors to another website. Because you control the destination, you can point a link somewhere new long after you have shared it.

### Overview

- **What it is:** A record that pairs a short code on one of your web portals with a destination web address, so the portal forwards every visitor who opens the short link
- **Why it matters:** Messages carry your portal address instead of an unfamiliar domain, and you can change or switch off a destination without resending anything
- **Who uses it:** Agency administrators and staff who share external links with clients
- **Expected outcomes:** Shared links stay under your control, and links replaced inside messages record an open when a client clicks them

### Prerequisites

- At least one web portal that is not archived or trashed (see [How to Create Web Portals](/how-to-create-web-portals))
- A role with the create_redirects and update_redirects permissions, plus view_any_portals to open the **Portals** pages
- The destination web address you want visitors to reach

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Create a Redirect

1. Go to **Admin** > **Portals**
2. Click the **Redirects** tab
3. Enter a **Name** in the **Create Redirect** form
4. Enter the destination web address in **Redirect URL**
5. Select a **Portal**
6. Click **Create**

The new redirect opens on its own page.

#### Step 2: Set the Short Code and Destination

![Edit Redirect Link Form](https://ecdassets.s3.amazonaws.com/images/articles/redirects-edit-redirect-form.png)

1. Review the **URL** field, which holds the code at the end of the redirect link and is generated for you as 12 random characters
2. Replace **URL** with a short, recognizable code if you want a friendlier link
3. Confirm **Redirect URL** points to the destination you want
4. Select a different **Portal** if the redirect should run on another portal
5. Click **Save**

#### Step 3: Test the Redirect

1. Click **Portal Link** at the top of the redirect page to open the short link in a new tab
2. Confirm the destination page loads

#### Step 4: Replace Message Links Automatically (Optional)

1. Go to **Admin** > **Settings**
2. Enter Auto Replace Links in **Search Settings**
3. Check **Auto Replace Links** in the **Automation** section
4. Click **Save**

### What to Expect

Each redirect link is built from the portal address plus `/r/` and the **URL** value, which is why the **Portal Link** button only appears once the redirect has both a **Portal** and a **URL**. Visitors are sent to **Redirect URL**, and the portal adds `https://` for you when the destination is stored without it.

Destination changes reach new visitors within about a minute, because each portal caches a redirect briefly after it is opened. Archiving or trashing a redirect removes it from that lookup, so visitors get a not found page instead.

With **Auto Replace Links** enabled, each qualifying link in an outgoing message is saved as its own redirect tied to that message, and the message content is rewritten to use the portal address. Those redirects use the portal on the message, or your default portal when the message has none. Opening one of them records an open on the message, so you can see who clicked. Email addresses and links to ecase.io, ecourtpayment.com, ecourtdate.com, and your **Agency Website** setting are left unchanged.

### Best Practices

- Give every redirect a distinct **Name**, since a name that already belongs to an active redirect is rejected
- Settle on the **URL** value before you share the link, because changing that code breaks links you have already sent
- Use redirects for destinations that move, such as virtual hearing links, so you can update the destination instead of resending messages
- Click **Portal Link** to confirm the destination loads before you put the link in a message
- Archive redirects you no longer want to work, rather than leaving stale destinations reachable

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Can I change where a redirect points after I have shared it?**

A: Yes. Open the redirect, update **Redirect URL**, then click **Save**. New visits follow the new destination within about a minute.

**Q: Which portal does a new redirect use?**

A: New redirects are created on your default portal. Open the redirect, choose the portal you want in **Portal**, and click **Save**.

**Q: How do I switch off a redirect link?**

A: Open the redirect, click **Tools**, then click **Archive** or **Trash**. The portal stops resolving the link and visitors get a not found page. Click **Tools** > **Restore** to bring it back.

**Q: Does Auto Replace Links change every link in a message?**

A: No. Email addresses and links to ecase.io, ecourtpayment.com, ecourtdate.com, and your **Agency Website** are left alone, and replacement is skipped entirely when your agency has no available portal.

**Q: How do I tell which redirects came from a message?**

A: Redirects created by **Auto Replace Links** show an **Open Message** button in the **Redirects** table, and the message appears next to the form when you open that redirect.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** The redirect link shows a not found page

**Symptoms:** Visitors reach an error page instead of the destination.

**Solution:**

1. Open the redirect and check the banner at the top, which reports whether the redirect was archived or trashed, then click **Tools** > **Restore** if needed
2. Compare the **URL** value with the code at the end of the link you shared, since editing **URL** breaks older links
3. Confirm **Redirect URL** is filled in, because an empty destination returns a not found page
4. Confirm the link you shared uses the portal named in **Portal**, since a redirect only resolves on its own portal

**Issue:** The **Portal Link** button is missing from the redirect page

**Symptoms:** No link to open the redirect appears next to the redirect name.

**Solution:**

1. Confirm a **Portal** is selected on the redirect and click **Save**
2. Confirm the **URL** field is filled in and click **Save**
3. Go to **Admin** > **Portals**, open the portal, and confirm it has a **Portal Link** value

**Issue:** Links in messages are not replaced

**Symptoms:** Outgoing messages still contain the original web addresses.

**Solution:**

1. Go to **Admin** > **Settings**, confirm **Auto Replace Links** is checked in the **Automation** section, and click **Save**
2. Confirm your agency has a portal that is not archived or trashed
3. Check whether the address is an email address or points to ecase.io, ecourtpayment.com, ecourtdate.com, or your **Agency Website**, which are all excluded

### Related Articles

- [How to Create Web Portals](/how-to-create-web-portals)
- [How to create trackable redirect links](/how-to-create-trackable-redirect-links)
- [How to track portal link opens](/how-to-track-portal-link-opens)
- [How to Send a One-off Message](/how-to-send-a-one-off-message)
- [How to Send a Mass Message using Bulk Actions](/how-to-send-a-mass-message-using-bulk-actions)