To redirect all URLs to a new destination in .htaccess except for one specific page, use RewriteCond to define an exception based on the REQUEST_URI before the RewriteRule. Place this code at the top of your .htaccess file, ensuring the exception URL starts with a forward slash.
Code Example: Redirect All Except One Page
This example redirects everything to https://new-site.com except for /keep-this-page.html.
apache
RewriteEngine On
# Skip redirection for /keep-this-page.html
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/keep-this-page\.html$ [NC]
# Redirect all other pages permanently (301)
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://new-site.com/ [R=301,L]
Key Details
- Exception Formulation: The
!means “does not match”. The^indicates the start of the URI. - Avoid Loops: Ensure the file you are excluding is not the same as your destination, or a redirect loop will occur.
- Case Insensitivity: The
[NC]flag makes the exception case-insensitive. - Testing: Use
[R=302,L](temporary) first to avoid caching issues in your browser while testing, then change to[R=301,L](permanent) when ready.
Example: Excluding Multiple URLs
You can stack RewriteCond lines to exclude multiple paths (e.g., a page and a stylesheet).
apache
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/keep-this-page\.html$ [NC]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/assets/.*$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://new-site.com/ [R=301,L]
