Key facts
- On its own: £45 an hour + VAT; included with dijihost Complete Hosting
- 301 is a permanent redirect that search engines follow
- Masked forwarding frames the target site and hides the real address
- DNS alone cannot redirect a web address
- Cloudflare redirect rules need the hostname proxied (orange cloud)
- Domain forwarding does not forward email
Redirect types
| Type | What the visitor sees | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| 301 (permanent) | The address bar changes to the main domain | Spare domains, old domains, .uk to .co.uk |
| 302 (temporary) | The address bar changes, but search engines expect it to end | Short campaigns, maintenance |
| Masked (framed) | The spare domain stays in the address bar over a framed page | Rarely a good idea |
For almost every business case, a 301 is right.
Why masked forwarding causes trouble
Masked forwarding loads your real site inside a frame on the spare domain. It looks tidy but brings problems: many sites block being framed, so the page can show blank; links and bookmarks point to the wrong place; and search engines see a near-empty page on one domain and your content on another. If you want a domain to look like your main address, make it the main address and redirect the others to it.
Masked forwarding also makes it harder to see which domain a visitor actually used, and it can confuse HTTPS, because the framed site and the spare domain need valid certificates separately.
Why DNS on its own can't forward
DNS turns a name into an address. It has no record type that says "send visitors to this other URL". A redirect is an HTTP response, so something has to answer the web request and send it. That can be a web server, or Cloudflare.
With Cloudflare, we create a redirect rule and point the spare domain's DNS records at Cloudflare's proxy. The hostname must be proxied (the orange cloud) for the rule to run. Cloudflare then answers every request with a 301 to the matching page on your main site, over HTTPS. Read Cloudflare DNS explained for how proxying works.
If your spare domain's DNS is not in Cloudflare yet, moving it there first is usually the simplest route. See Cloudflare setup.
Doing it properly
- Keep the path.
spare.co.uk/contactshould land onmain.co.uk/contact, not just the home page. - Cover www and the bare domain. People type both.
- Use HTTPS. Browsers warn on plain HTTP, so the spare domain needs a valid certificate too.
- Check the result. Test each variant and confirm the response is a single 301, not a chain.
Once it's working, leave the redirect in place for good. Old links in emails, directories and printed material keep arriving for years after a change.
Email is separate
Forwarding a domain only affects web traffic. Mail for the spare domain follows its MX records, not the redirect. If you want info@spare.co.uk to reach your main inbox, set that up as email forwarding. If the spare domain sends no email at all, publish SPF and DMARC records that say so, to make it harder to spoof. See multiple domains for one business.
Forwarding mail and forwarding the website are set up independently, so you can do one without the other.
How dijitul helps
Forwarding is included with dijihost Complete Hosting. Without hosting, we set it up in Cloudflare at £45 an hour + VAT, and a handful of domains rarely takes long. Ask for a quote for a bigger batch, or register the spare domains first in the client portal.
How it works and what it costs
Domains are priced live in the client portal. DNS management and 10 mailboxes are included with dijihost Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT. On their own, DNS and email set-up is £45 an hour + VAT or a fixed quote.
Tell us what you have
Your domains, who they are registered with, where your DNS and email live today, and what you want to change.
Plan the change
We list every DNS record and mailbox first, so nothing is forgotten, and agree a time to switch.
Make the switch
Transfers, nameserver changes, DNS records and mailbox moves, done carefully with low TTLs and a rollback plan.
Check it works
We test the website, email delivery, SPF, DKIM and DMARC from the outside before calling it done.
Look after it
Renewals, records and email stay looked after, and you can call a person when something changes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a 301 and masked forwarding?
A 301 sends visitors to your main domain and the address bar shows it. Masked forwarding keeps the spare domain in the address bar and frames your site inside it. A 301 is better for search engines and avoids pages that refuse to be framed.
Can I forward a domain using DNS only?
No. DNS maps names to addresses and has no redirect record. A web server or a service like Cloudflare must answer the request and return the redirect. In Cloudflare that means a redirect rule on a proxied hostname.
Does domain forwarding forward my email too?
No. Web forwarding and email are independent. Mail follows the domain's MX records. To send mail for a spare domain to your main inbox, set up email forwarding or aliases separately.
Will a 301 redirect hurt my SEO?
A 301 is the standard way to tell search engines a domain has moved permanently, and it passes visitors to the right page. Keep the path when redirecting, avoid chains of redirects, and pick one main domain to be indexed.
How much does domain forwarding cost?
It is included with dijihost Complete Hosting. On its own, dijitul sets it up in Cloudflare at £45 an hour + VAT. For a large number of domains, ask for a fixed quote.
Related
Get domains, DNS and email sorted
Set up properly, records checked, and real people to call. DNS and email are included with dijihost hosting.