How to Automatically Redirect a Blogger Blog to Another Blog or Website
Why Redirect Your Blogger Blog?
There are many valid reasons to redirect an old Blogger blog to a new destination. The most common scenarios include:
Blog Migration
You've moved your content to WordPress, Ghost, or a custom CMS and want existing readers and bookmarks to follow seamlessly.
New Domain
You purchased a custom domain and want to retire your old blogspot.com URL without losing traffic.
Blog Consolidation
Merging two blogs into one? A redirect ensures followers of the old blog land on your unified new home.
Business Rebranding
Your brand has evolved. Automatically send visitors to your new brand website without losing existing search rankings.
Choosing the Right Method
Before diving into code, pick the approach that fits your situation. Here's a quick comparison:
| Method | Ease | SEO Impact | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Refresh | ⭐⭐⭐ | Poor | Quick & temporary redirects |
| JavaScript Redirect | ⭐⭐⭐ | Fair | Most Blogger users |
| Custom Domain Forwarding | ⭐⭐ | Good | Full domain moves |
| Per-Post Redirect | ⭐ | Best | Precise URL mapping |
Method 1 — Meta Refresh (Simplest)
The Meta Refresh approach embeds a special HTML tag directly into your Blogger theme. It's the quickest way to redirect visitors — no JavaScript required.
Step-by-step
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Open Blogger Dashboard Log into blogger.com and select the blog you want to redirect.
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Go to Theme → Edit HTML Navigate to Theme in the left sidebar, then click the Edit HTML button.
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Find the
<head>tag Use Ctrl+F to search for<head>in the theme editor. -
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Paste the meta tag right after
<head>Insert the redirect snippet shown below, replacing the URL with your destination. -
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Save the theme Click Save theme and test the redirect by visiting your blog URL.
<!-- Meta Refresh Redirect --> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=https://www.yournewwebsite.com/" /> <!-- Change "0" to delay in seconds (e.g., 3 for 3-second delay) --> <!-- Replace the URL with your actual destination -->
Setting the content value to 0 redirects instantly. Use 3 or 5 if you want to show a brief message before sending the visitor away.
Method 2 — JavaScript Redirect (Recommended)
JavaScript redirects are more reliable across modern browsers and give you greater control. This is the method most bloggers use when switching platforms.
<!-- Paste this right after your <head> tag --> <script type="text/javascript"> // Redirect to new URL immediately window.location.replace("https://www.yournewwebsite.com/"); </script> <!-- Fallback for users with JavaScript disabled --> <noscript> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=https://www.yournewwebsite.com/" /> </noscript>
If you want to show a countdown message before redirecting, use this enhanced version:
<script type="text/javascript"> var seconds = 5; // countdown from 5 var newURL = "https://www.yournewwebsite.com/"; function countdown() { var el = document.getElementById("timer"); if (el) el.textContent = seconds; if (seconds <= 0) { window.location.replace(newURL); } else { seconds--; setTimeout(countdown, 1000); } } window.onload = countdown; </script> <!-- Add this in your blog layout / widget HTML --> <p> This blog has moved. You will be redirected in <strong id="timer">5</strong> seconds... <a href="https://www.yournewwebsite.com/">Click here</a> if not redirected. </p>
Method 3 — Custom Domain Forwarding
If you own a custom domain connected to your Blogger blog, the cleanest solution is to update your DNS settings to forward the domain directly to your new website at the registrar level. This happens before the browser even loads Blogger.
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Log into your domain registrar This is the provider where you purchased your domain — GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, etc.
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Find Domain Forwarding settings Look for "Domain Forwarding", "URL Redirect", or "URL Forwarding" in your DNS management panel.
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Set the forward destination Enter your new website URL and choose Permanent (301) redirect type for best SEO results.
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Wait for DNS propagation DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes up to 48 hours to propagate globally.
Always select 301 Permanent Redirect rather than a 302 (temporary) when you're permanently moving. Search engines will transfer your link equity to the new URL with a 301.
Method 4 — Redirect Individual Posts
For granular control — especially useful when your new site has different URL slugs — you can redirect specific posts individually. Blogger allows you to add custom redirects from the Settings panel.
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Go to Settings → Search preferences In your Blogger dashboard, navigate to Settings, then scroll to Search preferences.
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Click "Custom Redirects" Under the Crawlers and indexing section, find and click Custom Redirects → Edit.
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Add your redirect pairs Enter the old post path (e.g.,
/2020/01/my-old-post.html) and the new destination URL. -
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Check "Permanent" for 301 Tick the Permanent checkbox so Blogger serves a 301 instead of a 302 response.
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Save and test Save your changes and visit the old post URL to confirm it redirects properly.
SEO Considerations
Redirecting a blog can have significant SEO implications — both positive and negative — depending on how it's done. Here's what you need to know:
301 vs 302 Redirects
A 301 (Permanent) redirect signals to search engines that the content has moved forever, passing on roughly 90–99% of your original page's link equity. A 302 (Temporary) redirect tells crawlers the move is temporary and retains authority on the old URL. Always use 301 when you're permanently relocating.
JavaScript Redirect Caveat
Search engines can follow JavaScript redirects but may not process them as efficiently as server-side 301s. If SEO is a priority, pair the JavaScript redirect with a <link rel="canonical"> tag pointing to your new URL, and try to set up a proper 301 at the server or domain level when possible.
<!-- Add inside <head> to help search engines find the new URL --> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.yournewwebsite.com/" />
Pro Tips & Troubleshooting
Test before going live. Always preview your theme changes and open the blog URL in an incognito window to confirm the redirect fires as expected. Also verify that it doesn't create a redirect loop.
Redirect loop? If your browser shows "Too many redirects", check whether your new website also has a redirect pointing back to Blogger. Disable the new-site redirect first, then fix the Blogger side.
Document your old URLs. Before redirecting, export a list of all your old post URLs using Google Search Console or a sitemap crawler. This helps you set up precise per-post redirects on your new platform.
Domain forwarding takes time. DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours. If the redirect isn't working immediately after changing DNS settings, wait a few hours and try again from a different network.
Redirecting a Blogger blog is a straightforward process once you know which method fits your use case. For most bloggers, the JavaScript redirect in the theme <head> gets the job done quickly, while a domain-level 301 remains the gold standard for SEO. Whichever path you choose, always test thoroughly and keep a backup of your original theme before making changes. Good luck with your migration!