Understanding the difference between normal redirects and phantom redirects

Overview

You'll understand the key differences between normal redirects and phantom redirects, when to use each type, and how to avoid common compatibility issues.

Prerequisites

• Active Inframail account

• At least one domain configured in your account

• A website URL to redirect your domains to

Compatibility

Normal Redirects: Compatible with all account types and all websites.

Phantom Redirects: Not compatible with websites that include sign-in pages, signup forms, or user authentication.

What are normal redirects?

Normal redirects use standard HTTP redirect mechanisms to point your secondary domains to your main website. When someone visits one of your secondary domains, their browser automatically redirects them to your main domain URL.

How it works:

1. A visitor types in your secondary domain (e.g., quickproteam.com)

2. The browser receives an HTTP redirect response

3. The visitor is automatically sent to your main website (e.g., quickpro.co)

4. The URL in the browser's address bar changes to show your main domain

What are phantom redirects?

Phantom redirects (labeled as "Phantom Redirects (Recommended)" in your dashboard) use an iframe-based approach to duplicate the contents of your main domain across all your secondary domains. This method makes the redirect undetectable to external email providers.

How it works:

1. A visitor types in your secondary domain (e.g., discover-fulcrum.com)

2. The page loads with the secondary domain's URL still visible

3. The content from your main website is displayed through our system

4. The URL in the browser's address bar remains on the secondary domain

Key differences

Pros and cons

Normal redirects

Pros:

• Works with any type of website, including SaaS applications, membership sites, and e-commerce platforms

• Transparent behavior—visitors clearly see where they're being redirected

• No browser compatibility issues or security restrictions

• Forms, logins, and interactive features work correctly

Cons:

• URL changes in the browser address bar (may affect branding perception)

• Email providers can detect the redirect, which may be flagged differently by some security systems

• Less seamless user experience—visitors see the URL change happen

Phantom redirects

Pros:

• Undetectable by email providers for the most part—reduces risk of landing in spam or on blacklists

• Better for cold email campaigns—each secondary domain appears independent to email security systems

• URL remains consistent—visitors see the secondary domain URL throughout their visit

• Creates the illusion of multiple independent websites for branding purposes

• Recommended by Inframail for optimal email deliverability

Cons:

• Does NOT work with websites that have sign-in or signup pages

• Incompatible with SaaS applications requiring user authentication

• May fail if target website sets X-Frame-Options header to DENY or SAMEORIGIN

• Forms that POST data may fail due to cross-origin restrictions

• Mixed content issues if secondary domain uses HTTPS but target uses HTTP

• Some websites explicitly block for security reasons

Things to watch out for when using phantom redirects

1. Test before applying to all domains

Before setting phantom redirects for all your secondary domains, test with one domain first to ensure compatibility.

2. Propagation time

Changes to redirects can take up to 24 hours to fully propagate and take effect across all DNS servers.

3. Cache issues

Browser caching can make it appear that redirects aren't working when they actually are.

To rule out cache issues:

1. Clear your browser cache and cookies

2. Try accessing the domain in an incognito/private browser window

3. Test from a different browser or device

4. Format requirements

Always include the full URL with the protocol when setting up redirects.

Correct format: https://yourwebsite.com

Incorrect formats: yourwebsite.com or www.yourwebsite.com (missing protocol)

5. Performance considerations

Phantom redirects add a layer of indirection, which can slightly impact page load times compared to normal redirects or direct website access.

6. Email deliverability benefit is specific to cold email

The deliverability advantage of phantom redirects is most significant for cold email campaigns. The benefit comes from email validation systems seeing consistent sending domains across all secondaries without detecting redirects.

How to set up redirects

Setting up normal redirects

1. Navigate to the Redirects step in your domain setup flow, or go to Inframail › Update › Redirects

2. Select the Redirect radio button option

3. Enter your target URL (e.g., https://yourwebsite.com) in the input field for your first domain

4. Click the Duplicate for all button to apply the same redirect URL to all your domains

5. Click the Set button to save your redirects

Setting up phantom redirects

1. Navigate to the Redirects step in your domain setup flow, or go to Inframail › Update › Redirects

2. Select the Phantom Redirects (Recommended) radio button option

3. Enter your target URL (e.g., https://yourwebsite.com) in the input field for your first domain

4. Click the Duplicate for all button to apply the same redirect URL to all your domains

5. Click the Set button to save your redirects

Verify the setup

For normal redirects:

1. Wait at least 24 hours after saving

2. Open a new browser window or incognito mode

3. Type one of your secondary domains into the address bar

4. Press Enter and observe the URL changing to your main domain

5. Confirm you see your main website content

For phantom redirects:

1. Wait at least 24 hours after saving

2. Open a new browser window or incognito mode

3. Type one of your secondary domains into the address bar

4. Press Enter and confirm the URL stays on the secondary domain

5. Confirm you see your main website content loading

6. If your site has interactive features, test them to ensure they work correctly

Troubleshooting

Switching between redirect types

You can change from one redirect type to another at any time:

1. Go to Inframail › Update › Redirects

2. Select the new redirect type (either Redirect or Phantom Redirects)

3. Verify your redirect URLs are still correct

4. Click "Duplicate for all" to apply to all domains

5. Click the "Set" button to save

6. Wait up to 24 hours for changes to propagate

Removing redirects

If you no longer want any redirects on your domains:

1. Go to Inframail › Update › Redirects

2. Clear the redirect URL field for each domain (leave it empty)

3. Click the "Set" button to save

4. Contact support to confirm all redirects have been removed on the backend

What's next

• Learn how to warm up your inboxes after migrating to Inframail

• Understand how to tell if your campaign emails are going to spam

• Calculate your email sending capacity and choose the right plan

Getting help

If you're experiencing issues with redirects after following this guide:

Information to provide to support:

• The specific domain(s) experiencing issues

• The redirect type you're trying to use (normal or phantom)

• The target URL you're redirecting to

• Screenshots of any error messages

• When you last made changes (for propagation timing)

Contact Inframail support through the in-app chat or your account dashboard.