How Domain Redirects Work
A domain redirect takes a short, custom name, such as sparky.r.nz, and points it to another destination: a website, an online store or a social media profile. When someone types that domain into their browser, Registry’s network recognises it and sends them straight to your URL. The whole process happens in a fraction of a second, giving you a clean, memorable link that still routes people exactly where you want them to go.
What Happens Behind the Scenes
Your domain becomes the front door to your online presence, while the technical work happens automatically behind it. Registry’s globally distributed edge network handles each redirect instantly, with no delay and no loading screen in between. A visitor types your short name and lands exactly where you have pointed it, without noticing the redirect happened at all.
Where a Redirect Can Point
A domain redirect from r.nz can point to almost anywhere you already have a presence: your main website or homepage, an online store or a product page, a social profile on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or YouTube, a portfolio site or landing page, or a sign-up and event page for something time-limited. A single business often uses more than one: a main domain pointed at the homepage, and a handful of shorter, purpose-built ones pointed at a current promotion, a booking page or a social profile, all managed from the same account.
Built for Speed, Reliability and Security
Every redirect runs on the same fast, secure infrastructure regardless of which plan you are on. Your audience keeps using the same short name for as long as you want them to, while you stay free to change what is behind it. Automated security checks run on every redirect by default, so a domain that has been live for a year is protected the same way a brand-new one is. See our Automated Security page for exactly how that works.
Changing the Destination Later
The main advantage of a domain redirect is that the public-facing name never has to change, even when what is behind it does. You can update the destination from your account at any time, within your plan’s monthly allowance, whether that is switching from a launch page to your main site, or pointing an old campaign domain at something new entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does changing my destination break the domain, even briefly?
No. Updating the destination takes effect from your account and does not require any downtime or reconfiguration on your end.
How fast is the redirect, really?
It happens in a fraction of a second, since it runs on Registry’s edge network rather than a single distant server.
Can one domain redirect to more than one place over time?
Yes, one destination at a time, but you can change that destination as often as your plan’s monthly allowance allows.
Do I need any technical knowledge to set this up?
No. Setting a destination is done from your account with no coding involved. Our domain setup guide walks through it step by step.
Is a redirect the same as moving my website?
No. Your website stays exactly where it is. The domain simply gives people a shorter address that leads to it, or to any other destination you choose.
What stops someone else from redirecting my domain to something unsafe?
Only you can change the destination from your own account, and every redirect is checked automatically for phishing or malware regardless of who set it.
Can I test a redirect before sharing it publicly?
Yes. Once you set a destination, you can open the domain yourself right away to confirm it goes where you expect, before sharing it anywhere.
Ready to see how it works with your own domain? Find your perfect name and set up your first redirect.