URL redirects can be set right through the OSU Drupal interface, as long as the base URL of the new site matches the base URL of the old URL.

So, for example, a static site with the base URL of http://mysite.oregonstate.edu/my-old-page.html could be redirected to a new page in Drupal that had the URL http://mysite.oregonstate.edu/my-new-page.

This will also work with files.  For example an image file located at http://mysite.oregonstate.edu/old-directory/my-image.png could be redirected to a new file instance in Drupal that had the URL http://mysite.oregonstate.edu/files/new-directory/my-image.png.

An original base URL that differs from a new base URL will not work, though.  So, for example, you would not be able to redirect something like http://myoldsite.oregonstate.edu/my-old-page to something like http://mynewsite.oregonstate.edu/my-new-page.  The base URLs myoldsite and mynewsite are different and the new site will not recognize the base URL myoldsite.

There are two ways to set redirects in OSU Drupal.

URL Redirects Tab in Node Submission Form

To create a quick redirect to a node that you're currently working on, from within the node submission form:

  1. Scroll down to the URL Redirects tab and click it.
  2. Click the Add URL redirect to this node button.
  3. A new screen will pop up. In the From field, enter the path that you're redirecting from.
  4. Click the Save button to save the redirect.
  5. You'll be moved back to your node submission form. If you're done editing your content, click the Save button on your form.

URL Redirects Management Tool

  1. Go to Admin menu > Configuration > Search and Metadata > URL Redirects > Add redirect.
  2. In the From field, enter the original path that follows your base URL.
  3. In the To field, enter the new, relative path that follows your base URL.
  4. Click the Save button.

Please note that if you are setting redirects in a development site, your redirects will not work with your production site's base URL until you replace your old site with your new one.

Make sure to test your new redirect in your production site.  You can do this easily by simply entering your old URL in the address bar or creating a test link on some page in your site with the original URL, such as what is shown in the example above.