Skip to main content

How to Create Redirect Links

PortalsUpdated 6 min read

Required permissions
  • create redirects
  • update redirects
or Super Admin

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)
  • 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​

  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
  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​

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

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

Which portal does a new redirect use?

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

How do I switch off a redirect link?

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.

Does Auto Replace Links change every link in a message?

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.

How do I tell which redirects came from a message?

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​

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
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
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