Redirecting users from one page to another is a common task in any web application. In Django, redirection can be handled easily and elegantly using built-in tools like HttpResponseRedirect, redirect(), and even URL configurations.

Whether you're redirecting users after login, form submission, or accessing a deprecated route, Django provides several ways to do it.

What is Page Redirection?

Redirection is when a user is automatically taken to a different URL. This is typically done using a 3xx HTTP status code — most commonly 302 (temporary) or 301 (permanent).

Methods of Redirecting in Django

✅ 1. Using HttpResponseRedirect

This is a subclass of HttpResponse that performs a redirect.

from django.http import HttpResponseRedirect

def my_view(request):
    return HttpResponseRedirect('/new-url/')

Use Case: When you want precise control over the URL you're redirecting to.

✅ 2. Using redirect() Shortcut (Recommended)

A more convenient and readable way to redirect. It supports URLs, view names, and even model instances.

from django.shortcuts import redirect

# Redirect to a URL
def my_view(request):
    return redirect('/new-url/')

# Redirect using view name (recommended)
def my_view(request):
    return redirect('home')

# Redirect with parameters
def my_view(request):
    return redirect('article_detail', slug='django-page-redirection')

Use Case: Clean, readable redirection in views.

✅ 3. Redirection in urls.py using RedirectView

You can redirect directly from urls.py using Django’s class-based view RedirectView.

from django.views.generic.base import RedirectView
from django.urls import path

urlpatterns = [
    path('old-url/', RedirectView.as_view(url='/new-url/', permanent=True)),
]

✅ permanent=True sends a 301 Moved Permanently
✅ permanent=False (default) sends a 302 Found

Example: Redirect After Form Submission

from django.shortcuts import render, redirect
from .forms import ContactForm

def contact_view(request):
    if request.method == 'POST':
        form = ContactForm(request.POST)
        if form.is_valid():
            form.save()
            return redirect('thank_you')  # Redirect to success page
    else:
        form = ContactForm()
    return render(request, 'contact.html', {'form': form})

Example: Redirect to Home Page

from django.shortcuts import redirect

def go_home(request):
    return redirect('home')  # 'home' is the name of a URL pattern

# urls.py
path('', HomeView.as_view(), name='home'),
path('go-home/', views.go_home),

Visiting /go-home/ takes the user to /.

Redirect with Parameters

def redirect_article(request):
    return redirect('article_detail', slug='python-basics')

This assumes you have:

path('article/<slug:slug>/', views.article_detail, name='article_detail'),

Permanent vs Temporary Redirects

In Django:

RedirectView.as_view(url='/new-url/', permanent=True)  # 301
redirect('/new-url/')  # 302 (default)

Full Example: Redirect After Login

from django.contrib.auth import authenticate, login
from django.shortcuts import render, redirect

def login_view(request):
    if request.method == 'POST':
        username = request.POST['username']
        password = request.POST['password']
        user = authenticate(request, username=username, password=password)
        if user is not None:
            login(request, user)
            return redirect('dashboard')  # Redirect to user dashboard
    return render(request, 'login.html')

Common Pitfalls

Best Practices

• ✅ Use redirect('view-name') for maintainability

• ✅ Use get_absolute_url() in models with redirect(obj)

• ✅ Prefer named URL patterns (name='...) over hard-coded URLs

• ✅ Avoid hardcoded slugs/IDs in production

• ✅ Use RedirectView in urls.py for static redirects

Summary

Want to Add Redirects After Login or Logout?

Django offers built-in settings:

LOGIN_REDIRECT_URL = '/dashboard/'
LOGOUT_REDIRECT_URL = '/'

These control where users are sent after login/logout using Django's LoginView and LogoutView.