You’ve added your domain, copied the DNS records into your provider, and Redirect Supply now shows it as Connected.
So, what exactly changed?
Connecting a domain doesn’t create a redirect by itself. It means the domain is now ready for Redirect Supply to handle requests. From here, you decide where those requests should go by creating redirect rules.
Let’s look at what’s happening behind that Connected status and what you need to do next.
First, Redirect Supply checks your DNS setup
When you add a domain to Redirect Supply, you’re given the DNS records required to connect it.
After you add those records at your DNS provider, there’s no separate verification button to press. Redirect Supply checks the configuration automatically.
While that’s happening, the domain shows as Pending.
DNS changes can take a little time to propagate, so don’t worry if the status doesn’t change immediately. In many cases it only takes a few minutes, but the exact timing depends on your DNS provider.
Once everything is configured correctly, the status changes automatically:
Pending → Connected
At that point, the connection is ready.
What does Connected actually mean?
Connected means requests for the domain can now reach Redirect Supply’s infrastructure.
It does not mean every visitor is automatically being sent somewhere else.
Think of connecting the domain as setting up the route between the domain and Redirect Supply. The connection exists, but you still need to decide what should happen when a request arrives.
That’s what redirect rules are for.
So if you connect:
oldbrand.com
you can then tell Redirect Supply what should happen when someone visits the domain itself or a particular URL on it.
Now you can create your first redirect
Once the domain is Connected, open its Rules page and create a new rule.
The basic process is:
Click New rule.
Choose what you want to redirect.
Enter the destination URL.
Select the redirect type.
Save the rule.
Test the original URL.
For example, you might want the entire old domain to lead to your new website:
oldbrand.com → newbrand.com
Or you might want to send individual URLs to their closest replacements:
oldbrand.com/pricing → newbrand.com/plans
oldbrand.com/about → newbrand.com/company
Once the rule is active, Redirect Supply knows what response to return when someone visits that old URL.
What happens when someone visits the domain?
Let’s say you’ve created this rule:
oldbrand.com/pricing → newbrand.com/plans
Someone clicks an old link to oldbrand.com/pricing.
Because the domain’s DNS is connected to Redirect Supply, the request reaches Redirect Supply instead of an old website. The request is handled through Cloudflare’s edge network, Redirect Supply checks it against your rules, finds the match, and returns the redirect.
The visitor is then sent to:
newbrand.com/plans
The basic flow looks like this:
Old URL → Redirect Supply → Matching rule → New URL
There doesn’t need to be an old website sitting behind oldbrand.com. Redirect Supply is handling that part.
Which redirect type should you choose?
For most permanent moves, you’ll probably want a 301 redirect.
A 301 tells browsers and search engines that the old URL has permanently moved to the new destination. It’s the common choice for website migrations, rebrands, changed URLs, and old domains that have been replaced.
Redirect Supply also supports 302, 307, and 308 redirects for situations where you need different redirect behavior.
If you’re simply moving an old URL permanently to its new home, 301 is usually the place to start.
Test the URLs that actually matter
Once your rules are created, open the old URLs and make sure they behave the way you expect.
If you’re redirecting an entire domain, test the domain itself. If you’ve created rules for individual pages, test those too.
For example:
oldbrand.com
oldbrand.com/pricing
oldbrand.com/contact
oldbrand.com/about
You want to make sure each request reaches the correct destination, especially before cancelling old hosting or announcing a domain change.
It only takes a few minutes and can catch a mistyped destination or a missing rule before your visitors do.
Connected is the beginning, not the end
Connecting a domain gives Redirect Supply permission to do its job. Your redirect rules tell it what that job actually is.
So the full process is:
Add domain → Add DNS records → Pending → Connected → Create rules → Redirects live
Once that setup is complete, your redirects can keep working independently of the old website or its hosting.
And you can come back whenever you need to add another rule, change a destination, or manage another old URL.
Getting the domain Connected is the technical part.
From there, you just decide where everything should go.
