---
id: sphinxext-rediraffe
version: "0.3.0"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: aging
---

# sphinxext-rediraffe — Sphinx Extension that redirects non-existent pages to working pages

License: permissive · Maintenance: aging · Downloads: 257.1K/mo

## What it is and what it does

Sphinxext-rediraffe is a Sphinx extension that handles documentation page redirects—when a page is deleted or renamed, it automatically redirects users to the correct location. Instead of letting broken links accumulate, you define a mapping of old page paths to new ones, and the extension ensures that any request for an old page lands on the current version. The extension also resolves redirect chains: if page A redirects to page B and page B redirects to page C, all requests go directly to page C, so users experience only one redirect rather than multiple hops.

The extension works with Sphinx's html and dirhtml builders and can optionally check your git repository to verify that deleted or renamed files have corresponding redirects defined. It's a lightweight addition to your Sphinx setup—it only depends on Sphinx itself—and supports Python 3.9 through 3.13. The project is marked Production/Stable and has been maintained since 2020, though releases have slowed recently.

Use it for:

- Redirect old documentation URLs after a site restructure to prevent broken links and preserve search rankings.
- Automatically handle renamed pages during documentation refactoring without breaking external links.
- Verify that all deleted documentation pages have redirect rules defined in your build process.
- Simplify user experience by eliminating redirect chains when documentation undergoes multiple reorganizations.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

A Sphinx extension that automatically redirects requests for non-existent or renamed documentation pages to their current locations, resolving chains of redirects transparently.

Yes, if you maintain Sphinx documentation and need to handle page renames or deletions gracefully. The low install friction, permissive license, and stable status make it a straightforward addition. The aging maintenance signal (320 days since last release) is a minor concern but not a blocker—the repository is active and the extension's scope is narrow and stable. No known vulnerabilities.

## Install

pip install sphinxext-rediraffe
uv add sphinxext-rediraffe
poetry add sphinxext-rediraffe

## Installing sphinxext-rediraffe

Before you install: Low friction: pure Python wheel with only Sphinx as a runtime dependency. Maintenance signal is aging—last release was 320 days ago—but the repository remains active and not archived, with recent commits as of 2025-09-28.

License in practice: MIT license is permissive; you can use, modify, and distribute this package with minimal restrictions, provided you retain the license notice.

Quickstart:

pip install sphinxext-rediraffe

# In conf.py:
extensions = ['sphinxext.rediraffe']
rediraffe_redirects = {
    'old_page': 'new_page',
}

Requires Sphinx and Python 3.9 or later; only works with html and dirhtml builders.

Verify before relying:

- How redirect chains are configured and whether the graph traversal is automatic or requires explicit setup.
- Whether the git repo check for deleted/renamed files is a separate command or integrated into the build process.
- Performance impact when handling large numbers of redirects.
- Whether broken external links are prevented or just handled after the fact.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: aging
- Downloads: 257.1K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

sphinx redirect pages, documentation page redirects, sphinx broken link handling, renamed documentation files, sphinx url redirection, sphinx-extension, documentation-tooling

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