How do I import existing redirects into Yoast SEO Premium?

Definition: A redirect sends a request for a source URL to a destination URL. As of 17 October 2026, Yoast SEO Premium imports existing redirect rules through its Import redirects tab, using supported plugins, a CSV file or pasted .htaccess content.

Key facts

• Yoast's redirect import documentation lists Redirection, Safe Redirect Manager and Simple 301 Redirects as supported plugin sources.
• Yoast's downloadable CSV example starts with the header Origin,Target,Type,Format.
• Yoast's Regex redirects documentation defines regular expression redirects as rules that match multiple source URLs using a pattern.

Where is the import screen, and how does a plugin import work?

The route in Yoast's import instructions starts in the WordPress dashboard:

1. Open Yoast SEO.
2. Open Tools.
3. Select Import and Export.
4. Open Import redirects.

For a plugin import, the illustrated interface offers a selection under Import from other redirect plugins. Select Redirection, Safe Redirect Manager or Simple 301 Redirects, then click Import redirects. For Redirection, the documentation says Yoast is expected to import groups and regular expressions, including expressions outside groups.

How is a CSV file prepared and imported?

A CSV file stores values separated by commas. Yoast's CSV import requirements specify a comma separator, one redirect per line, UTF-8 encoding and Unix line endings. The file must also avoid mixing left-to-right and right-to-left characters.

The required header and one of Yoast's documented plain redirect examples are:

Origin,Target,Type,Format
"/three-zero-one","/",301,"plain"

Here, Origin contains the source path, Target contains the destination, Type contains the redirect code, and Format identifies the rule format. The format values plain and regex must be lowercase; both formats can appear in the same file. For codes 410 and 451, the target cell must be empty.

Yoast recommends source URLs beginning with /. For destinations on the same site, it also recommends relative URLs beginning with /; full absolute destination URLs are accepted for other sites.

In the documentation's illustrated interface, Choose File selects the prepared file under Import from a CSV file. Import CSV file starts the import. The same documentation recommends reviewing spreadsheet-generated CSV files in a plain text editor to check their syntax.

How are rules imported from .htaccess?

The .htaccess file is another supported import source. Yoast's instructions for this method specify copying the file's contents into the text box on Import redirects, then clicking Import .htaccess.

The documented formats use Redirect for plain rules and RedirectMatch for regular expression rules. These examples match the syntax shown by Yoast:

Redirect 301 /family/ /school/
RedirectMatch 301 /rain /sunny/

The plain example sends /family/ to /school/. The pattern in the second example also matches paths containing rain, including /in-the-rain and /draining.

Related terms

• How do I create a redirect with Yoast SEO Premium?
• How do I use regular expression redirects in Yoast SEO Premium?
• HTTP redirects

FAQ

Can I update existing redirects by importing a CSV?

Yoast's CSV import FAQ says existing redirects are skipped during import. You can change them in the redirect manager.

What should I check if my CSV import fails?

The same FAQ recommends trying a fresh copy of Yoast's example file, then checking your custom file in a text editor if the example imports successfully. For server timeouts, you can split a large file into smaller files and import each separately.

Can I import on a WordPress multisite network?

Yoast documents an issue involving the network's allowed upload file types. You can add csv to Upload file types at wp-admin/network/settings.php.

Sources

1. Yoast, "How to import redirects using Yoast SEO Premium", updated 12 May 2026
2. Yoast, "Yoast SEO redirect example", undated
3. Yoast, "What are Regex redirects?", updated 24 February 2026

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