URL rewrite and redirect process in Magento

URL rewrites transform Magento's internal paths into SEO-friendly URLs that your customers see. They're essential for both creating a better user experience, and for improved search engine optimization.

How URL rewrites work

Rewrites in Magento are processed in the Magento\UrlRewrite\Controller\Router class. When a request comes in, Magento checks the url_rewrite database table before the standard routing process. This happens through the urlrewrite router, which has high priority in the routing sequence.

The rewrite system converts friendly URLs like:

https://exa...