Set Up Domain Forwarding with HTTP and HTTPS

Domain forwarding redirects visitors from one domain to another URL. OpenSRS supports forwarding over both HTTP and HTTPS, so you can send traffic to a destination site regardless of whether your customer's domain has an SSL certificate. This article walks you through enabling and configuring forwarding in the Reseller Control Panel.

How OpenSRS domain forwarding works

When forwarding is active, OpenSRS hosts a lightweight redirect service on the forwarding name servers. Visitors typing the forwarded domain into a browser are sent to the destination URL you specify. Forwarding is an alternative to pointing a domain at a real web server, and it does not affect email or other DNS records you set on the domain.

HTTPS forwarding adds a TLS-protected redirect so that browsers do not show a security warning when a visitor types https://yourdomain. OpenSRS provisions and renews the certificate used for the redirect automatically.

Note: Domain forwarding requires that the domain use the OpenSRS forwarding name servers. Custom name servers will override forwarding.

Before you begin

• An active OpenSRS Reseller Control Panel account. You need access to the domain you want to forward.
• The domain registered with OpenSRS. Forwarding is available only for domains under your reseller management.
• The destination URL. Have the full target URL (including http:// or https://) ready before you start.
• Name server access. The domain must be set to the OpenSRS forwarding name servers for forwarding to resolve.

Step 1: Open the forwarding settings

Forwarding lives inside each domain's management page.

1. Sign in to the Reseller Control Panel.
2. Search for the domain in the top search bar, then open it.
3. From the domain's menu, select Domains > Forwarding.

Step 2: Enable forwarding and set the destination

Turn forwarding on, then tell OpenSRS where to send visitors.

1. Toggle Domain Forwarding to On.
2. In the Destination URL field, enter the full target URL, including the protocol — for example, https://www.example.com/landing.
3. Choose the redirect type:
   • 301 (Permanent) — search engines transfer ranking to the destination. Use this for permanent moves.
   • 302 (Temporary) — search engines keep the original domain indexed. Use this for short-term campaigns.
4. Click Save.

Optional: forward subpaths

Use the Forward path option if you want yourdomain.com/blog to land at destination.com/blog instead of the root. When disabled, every request lands on the destination URL you set.

Step 3: Enable HTTPS forwarding

HTTPS forwarding lets visitors reach the destination without a browser security warning when they type the URL with https://.

1. On the same Forwarding page, toggle HTTPS forwarding to On.
2. Click Save. OpenSRS automatically requests a certificate for the domain; provisioning usually completes within minutes but may take up to 24 hours.

Warning: Certificate issuance can fail if the domain has CAA records that exclude the certificate authority OpenSRS uses for forwarding. If HTTPS does not activate, remove restrictive CAA records and try again.

Step 4: Verify the redirect

Confirm forwarding works before you tell your customer it is live.

1. Open a private or incognito browser window.
2. Visit http://yourdomain.com and confirm it lands on the destination URL.
3. Visit https://yourdomain.com and confirm there is no certificate warning and the redirect succeeds.

Tip: DNS propagation can delay the first successful redirect by up to a few hours. If the redirect does not work right away, wait and retest.

Troubleshooting

• Redirect does not load. Confirm the domain uses the OpenSRS forwarding name servers and that no conflicting A or CNAME record points the domain elsewhere.
• HTTPS shows a certificate warning. Wait for issuance to complete, then retest. Persistent failures usually indicate a CAA record block.
• The wrong destination loads. Re-open the forwarding page and confirm the destination URL is correct and includes the protocol.

Next steps

• Set up DNS for the domain. If forwarding is temporary, plan the eventual move to a hosted site.
• Configure email separately. Forwarding handles web traffic only; configure MX records or hosted email independently.
• Document the redirect for your customer. Note the destination URL and redirect type in your records so future support requests are easy to resolve.

Questions? Contact OpenSRS Support.