In short. Netlify disallows rewrites between sites belonging to different teams and limits internal rewrites to one hop by default.
Definition: A Netlify rewrite is a rule with HTTP status
200that fetches another location while keeping the requested URL in the address bar. Netlify permits internal rewrites between Netlify sites within the documented limits, while rewrites between sites belonging to different teams are disallowed and internal rewrites have a one-hop default.
Key facts
- A redirect rule with status
200is a rewrite, so Netlify fetches the new location while the URL remains unchanged, according to Netlify's rewrites and proxies documentation. - Netlify explicitly says that rewrites between Netlify sites belonging to different teams are disallowed for security reasons.
- The default internal rewrite limit is one hop. Netlify gives the sequence SiteA to SiteB to SiteC as an example outside single-request proxying.
- Netlify says the one-hop limitation may be amended for customers case by case through support.
- For a rewrite to another Netlify site, Netlify recommends that the rule use the destination site's
.netlify.appsubdomain instead of its custom domain.
What is the cross-team restriction?
No. Netlify's rewrites and proxies page, last updated 14 July 2025, states that rewrites between Netlify sites belonging to different teams are disallowed for security reasons. The restriction is about the teams to which the sites belong. The page separately documents proxying from one Netlify site to another as an internal rewrite, so the documented same-team case is the supported scope for that pattern.
The destination remains behind the scenes. A 200 rule changes the server response without changing the URL in the browser, as Netlify's redirect options documentation explains. A rewrite status leaves the cross-team restriction in force.
How many internal rewrite hops are allowed?
Netlify documents one internal hop by default. In its example, a request may be proxied from SiteA to SiteB, while the SiteB to SiteC continuation falls outside a single request. Netlify also says that support may amend this limitation for a customer on a case-by-case basis. The public documentation leaves the response status and response body for a disallowed team boundary or an additional hop undocumented.
An internal rewrite is different from a client-side redirect because the original URL stays visible while Netlify's servers fetch the target. The redirect-options page identifies status 200 as the status used for rewrites and proxying. That status describes the rule's URL behavior; the cross-team and hop restrictions remain in force.
What should the rule look like?
For a permitted site-to-site rewrite, Netlify recommends the destination site's .netlify.app hostname. Its example in _redirects syntax is:
/netlify-site/* https://my-other-site.netlify.app/:splat 200
The rewrites documentation says its examples use _redirects syntax, while the same options are available in Netlify configuration file syntax. The redirect-options documentation also says that the redirect engine processes the first matching rule it finds, so a more specific rule belongs before a broader rule. Netlify's page gives /netlify-site/* as the source pattern and :splat as the part copied into the destination path.
When checking a configuration, record the source site, destination site, team ownership, and every internal site-to-site transfer in the request path. The documentation supports the hostname recommendation and the one-hop default, while it leaves the handling of a denied request undocumented.
Related terms
- How do I add redirects with Netlify's _redirects file?
- Which Netlify redirect wins when file and configuration rules overlap?
- What response limits apply to an origin behind a Netlify proxy rewrite?
FAQ
Can you rewrite from one Netlify team to another?
No. Netlify documents that rewrites between sites belonging to different teams are disallowed.
Can you chain two internal rewrites in one request?
The default is one internal hop. A SiteA to SiteB to SiteC chain falls outside a single request under that default.
Which hostname should you use for another Netlify site?
Use the destination site's .netlify.app subdomain in the rewrite rule. Netlify recommends it instead of the custom domain for this case.
Sources
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