How to Redirect users based on location in Wordpress

Redirecting Users Based on Country or IP Address on WordPress: A Comprehensive Guide

Ever wondered how to redirect users based on their country or IP address on your WordPress website? This blog post provides a step-by-step guide on how to achieve this using the DO redirects plugin by DO targeting WordPress. This type of redirect is particularly useful for directing users to the translated version of your website, using location-specific landing pages to boost your conversion rate, or steering users away from content or products that aren't available in their region.

Key Takeaways

This guide provides a detailed walkthrough on how to install and use the DO redirects plugin, set up redirection rules, configure redirect options, and use the geotargeting settings. It also offers practical tips on avoiding redirect loops and ensuring compatibility with cache plugins. The post concludes with a practical example of redirecting users to a different language based on their geolocation.

Table of Contents

• Installing the DO Redirects Plugin
• Setting Up Redirection Rules
• Configuring Redirect Options
• Using Geotargeting Settings
• Practical Tips for Using the Plugin
• A Practical Example: Redirecting Users Based on Geolocation

Installing the DO Redirects Plugin

Once the DO redirects plugin is installed, the first redirect can be created by navigating to DO targeting WordPress and DO redirects on the WordPress dashboard. Click on 'Add New' to create the first redirect and give it a title. This title is purely for administrative purposes and won't be displayed on the website.

Setting Up Redirection Rules

Redirection rules specify the conditions that should trigger the redirect. Both 'and' and 'or' conditions can be used to create these rules. For 'and', the redirect will only trigger when all conditions are met, while for 'or', the redirect will trigger when any of the conditions are met. These conditions can be combined to create complex rules. For instance, a redirect could be triggered based on two conditions simultaneously, or a third condition by itself.

The dropdown menu offers a wide range of conditions, including geotargeting and other options such as user type, content type, device type, or referrer. This flexibility allows for highly customized redirects, such as redirecting users from a specific country, but only on one page of the site, or redirecting users from a specific country, but only if they're not logged into the WordPress website.

Configuring Redirect Options

The redirect options determine where the redirect takes visitors. The 'Destination URL' box is more than just a place to paste a URL. It also allows for the use of placeholders to dynamically insert information such as the country, state, or zip code, or the original requested URL or path. This feature can be used to send visitors straight to the translated version of the post, page, or website for a seamless browsing experience.

Additional options include 'One Time Redirect', 'Exclude Search Engine', 'Redirection Code', and 'IP Whitelist'. These options allow for further customization of the redirect, such as choosing whether to redirect visitors every time, once per browser session, or one time only, excluding crawlers and bots from the redirect, changing the redirect code, and manually excluding certain IP addresses from being redirected.

Using Geotargeting Settings

The geotargeting settings allow for the creation of regions of countries and cities. Instead of manually entering each country individually, a region name can be created, such as 'French-speaking countries' or 'English-speaking countries'. If there are issues with caching, the 'Ajax Mode' can be turned on to make georedirects compatible with all cache plugins.

Practical Tips for Using the Plugin

When using dynamic URLs and wanting to redirect users every time without entering into a redirect loop, a display rule can be set at the beginning that states that the page URL is not equal to the website URL followed by the language code and an asterisk. This way, that page or its children will be excluded from the redirect. If redirecting to one page, a rule can be added that says that the page is not equal to the destination URL before the geotargeting rules.

A Practical Example: Redirecting Users Based on Geolocation

For instance, if the goal is to redirect users to a different language based on their geolocation, a translation plugin such as gTranslate can be used. The redirection rules can be set so that when the country is equal to Spain, Argentina, or Mexico, visitors will be automatically redirected to the Spanish version of the website. The destination URL box can be configured to send visitors to the translated version of the page they were trying to access, ensuring a seamless browsing experience.

Conclusion

The DO redirects plugin by DO targeting WordPress offers a powerful and flexible solution for redirecting users based on their country or IP address. With its wide range of conditions and options, it allows for highly customized redirects that can significantly enhance the user experience and boost conversion rates. Whether you're looking to direct users to translated versions of your website, use location-specific landing pages, or steer users away from unavailable content, this plugin has you covered.