SideBySide Domains
FEATURE COMPARISON

Domain Masking vs URL Forwarding

Two ways to point one domain to another—but they work very differently. Here's what you need to know.

⚡ Quick Definitions

URL Forwarding (Redirect): Visitors see the destination URL in their browser

Domain Masking (Cloaking): Visitors see your domain in the browser, but content loads from elsewhere

How Each Method Works

URL Forwarding (301/302 Redirect)

  1. User visits yourdomain.com
  2. Server sends redirect response
  3. Browser navigates to destination.com
  4. URL bar shows destination.com

SEO: ✓ Passes link equity (301)

Domain Masking (iframe)

  1. User visits yourdomain.com
  2. Server loads a page with an iframe
  3. iframe loads content from destination.com
  4. URL bar still shows yourdomain.com

SEO: ✗ No link equity, often penalized

URL Forwarding Types

Type HTTP Code SEO Impact Use Case
Permanent 301 Passes ~90% link equity Domain consolidation, old→new
Temporary 302 No equity transfer A/B tests, temporary moves
Masking 200 + iframe Negative (duplicate content) Rarely recommended

When to Use Each

✓ Use 301 Redirect When:

  • • Moving permanently to a new domain
  • • Consolidating multiple domains to one
  • • Protecting brand with alternate TLDs
  • • Fixing typo domains

⚠️ Use 302 Redirect When:

  • • Temporary promotion or campaign
  • • Site maintenance redirect
  • • Geographic redirection (temporary)

✗ Avoid Domain Masking For:

  • • Any SEO-important pages
  • • Sites you want indexed in search
  • • Pages with forms or secure content
  • • Mobile users (breaks often)

Problems With Domain Masking

🚫 SEO Disaster: Search engines see the iframe wrapper as the content. Your actual content may not get indexed properly.

🚫 Broken Features: JavaScript, analytics, forms, and login systems often break inside iframes.

🚫 Security Concerns: Modern browsers block many iframe scenarios. HTTPS mismatches cause errors.

🚫 Mobile Issues: Responsive designs don't work well in fixed iframes. Scrolling is often broken.

How to Set Up Forwarding

At Most Registrars

  1. Go to domain settings
  2. Find "URL Forwarding" or "Redirect"
  3. Enter destination URL
  4. Select 301 (permanent) or 302 (temporary)
  5. Choose "redirect only" (not masking)
  6. Save changes

The Simple Rule

In 2025, there's almost never a good reason to use domain masking. Use 301 redirects for permanent moves, 302 for temporary ones.

If you need your content to appear under a specific domain, host it there properly—don't mask it.