Redirection add-on: Monitor category redirects

Description

Redirection add-on: Monitor category redirects helps protect category archive URLs when you rename WordPress categories or change category slugs.

WordPress categories are often used in menus, breadcrumbs, sidebar widgets, internal links, XML sitemaps, and search results. When a category slug changes, the old category archive URL can become a 404 unless a redirect is added. This add-on watches for category slug changes and creates a 301 redirect from the old category URL to the new category URL.

The plugin is built for sites that already use the Redirection plugin and want category redirects handled automatically during taxonomy cleanup, site restructuring, or SEO maintenance.

When this plugin helps

Use this add-on when you:

• Rename blog categories and want old category archive URLs to keep working.
• Shorten, translate, or clean up category slugs.
• Reorganize a content site without leaving old category links behind.
• Run an SEO cleanup and want category archive URL changes covered.
• Manage client sites where editors may change category slugs without remembering to create redirects manually.

What it does

• Detects WordPress category edits.
• Captures the old category archive URL before the slug changes.
• Creates a 301 redirect to the new category archive URL.
• Uses the Redirection plugin to store and manage the redirect.
• Checks that Redirection database tables and the default group exist before creating redirects.

What it does not do

• It does not replace the Redirection plugin. Redirection must be installed and active.
• It does not redirect individual posts.
• It does not redirect custom taxonomies or WooCommerce product categories.
• It does not decide your category structure for you. It only protects category URL changes after you make them.

Why category redirects matter for SEO

Category archive pages can attract internal links, external links, and search engine crawls. A broken category URL can waste crawl signals, frustrate visitors, and create avoidable 404 errors. A clean 301 redirect gives users and search engines a clear path from the old category archive to the new one.

This is especially useful during content audits, category consolidation, permalink cleanup, language changes, and site migrations where category names or slugs change.