# Redirect Article

> Deletes a markdown article and creates a redirect entry pointing to a different article. Use when consolidating articles, renaming or moving content, removing outdated documentation, or reorganizing the docs structure while preserving existing URLs.

- Skill: `dotnet/redirect-article` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add dotnet/redirect-article`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/dotnet/redirect-article/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Docs & Writing
- Author: .NET (Microsoft) (https://skillmd.com/u/dotnet)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/dotnet/redirect-article

---


# Redirect Article

Delete a markdown article from the repository and create a redirect entry that points users to a different article. This ensures existing links and bookmarks continue to work after content is reorganized.

## When to Use

- Deleting an article that should redirect to another existing article
- Consolidating multiple articles into a single article
- Renaming or moving an article to a new location
- Removing outdated content while preserving URL functionality

## Important Notes

- Redirect entries are sorted **alphabetically** by path (ignoring the leading `/` for `source_path_from_root`)
- Always determine the correct redirection file by searching for existing entries with similar paths before running the script
- Always search the repository for links to the old article and update them
- The `redirect_url` shouldn't include the file extension or domain—just the URL path

## Steps

### 1. Required: Use the provided script

**DO NOT manually edit a redirection JSON file.** Use the `create-redirect-entry.ps1` script to handle the redirect creation automatically.

1. **Delete the source article** - Remove the original markdown file from the repository using `Remove-Item`
2. **Create a redirect entry** - **REQUIRED:** Use the `create-redirect-entry.ps1` script (see below) to add the redirect entry to the appropriate JSON file. Do not manually edit the JSON file
3. **Update internal links** - Search the repository for links to the old article and update them to point to the new article

### 2. Update the internal links

1. Build a list of files that reference the deleted article
   - Search for `**/*.md` files that reference the redirected file
   - Search for `**/*.yml` files that reference the redirected file
2. Update the links to point to the new article

## Redirection File Selection

To determine the correct redirection file for an article:

1. **Search for existing redirects** - Search the `.openpublishing.redirection.*.json` files for entries with paths similar to your source article (same folder or parent folder)
2. **Match by path prefix** - Use the redirection file that contains entries with the longest matching path prefix to your source article
3. **Use the reference table** - If no existing entries match, consult the table below based on the content area

**Reference table:**

| Product Area | Redirection File |
|--------------|------------------|
| AI | `.openpublishing.redirection.ai.json` |
| Architecture | `.openpublishing.redirection.architecture.json` |
| Aspire | `.openpublishing.redirection.aspire.json` |
| Azure | `.openpublishing.redirection.azure.json` |
| .NET Core | `.openpublishing.redirection.core.json` |
| C# | `.openpublishing.redirection.csharp.json` |
| Desktop WPF | `.openpublishing.redirection.desktop-wpf.json` |
| .NET Framework | `.openpublishing.redirection.framework.json` |
| .NET Framework WinForms | `.openpublishing.redirection.framework-winforms.json` |
| .NET Framework WPF | `.openpublishing.redirection.framework-wpf.json` |
| F# | `.openpublishing.redirection.fsharp.json` |
| .NET Fundamentals | `.openpublishing.redirection.fundamentals.json` |
| Machine Learning | `.openpublishing.redirection.machine-learning.json` |
| Navigate | `.openpublishing.redirection.navigate.json` |
| Orleans | `.openpublishing.redirection.orleans.json` |
| .NET Standard | `.openpublishing.redirection.standard.json` |
| Visual Basic | `.openpublishing.redirection.visual-basic.json` |
| Default/General | `.openpublishing.redirection.json` |

## Scripts

### create-redirect-entry.ps1

**ALWAYS use this script to add redirect entries.** This script adds the entry in alphabetical order and handles formatting. It supports both `source_path_from_root` and `source_path` properties when reading existing entries.

Location (relative to this skill file): `./scripts/create-redirect-entry.ps1`

| Parameter | Required | Description |
|-----------|----------|-------------|
| `RedirectionFile` | Yes | The redirection JSON file name (e.g., `.openpublishing.redirection.csharp.json`) |
| `SourcePath` | Yes | Repository path of the deleted article (with or without leading `/`) |
| `RedirectUrl` | Yes | Destination URL to redirect to |

**Example:**

```powershell
.\scripts\create-redirect-entry.ps1 `
    -RedirectionFile ".openpublishing.redirection.csharp.json" `
    -SourcePath "docs/csharp/fundamentals/old-article.md" `
    -RedirectUrl "/dotnet/csharp/fundamentals/new-article"
```

## Redirect Entry Format

```json
{
    "source_path_from_root": "/docs/csharp/fundamentals/old-article.md",
    "redirect_url": "/dotnet/csharp/fundamentals/new-article"
}
```

- **source_path_from_root**: File path from the repository root, starting with `/` (preferred property)
- **source_path**: Legacy property without leading `/` (some older files use this)
- **redirect_url**: URL path to redirect to (starts with `/dotnet/`)

> **Note:** The script handles both `source_path_from_root` and `source_path` when reading existing entries, but always writes new entries using `source_path_from_root`.