IPFS, or InterPlanetary File System, is at the core of Web3’s decentralized web vision. It promises faster, censorship-resistant access to content, but it faces significant adoption hurdles. Public gateways—the most common way users access IPFS sites—are slow, unreliable, and often leave users facing frustrating 500 timeout errors. This makes it hard to convince new users to try Web3, let alone switch from the traditional Web2.

That's where IPFS Redirect comes in. It's a lightweight tool designed to ensure users land on your IPFS-hosted site without these common issues, while also guiding them toward adopting Web3 by making the process of setting up IPFS tools simple and intuitive. Whether the user has IPFS set up or not, this tool ensures they can access your site reliably.

Why IPFS Redirect? Solving Public Gateway Issues

One of the biggest challenges with IPFS is the reliance on public gateways. These gateways, like ipfs.io or dweb.link, allow users without IPFS software installed to view decentralized content. But public gateways are often slow, unreliable, and can cause the dreaded 500 timeout errors, leaving users stuck and frustrated.

For example, when users try to load your IPFS-hosted site through a public gateway, they might experience long loading times or incomplete page loads, especially during high traffic. Worse, when the gateway fails, the user simply can't access your content. This leads to missed opportunities for Web3 adoption because users are unable to see the benefits of decentralized technology when they can’t even get to the site!

IPFS Redirect solves this problem by wrapping your IPFS link in a custom redirect that ensures the user lands on your site, regardless of gateway issues. It checks for public gateway health, and in case of issues, provides fallback options while guiding users to set up IPFS software themselves for faster and more reliable future access. This ensures the best of both worlds: immediate access through Web2 but a clear path to Web3.

How IPFS Redirect Drives Web3 Adoption

IPFS Redirect doesn't just guarantee users can access your content—it actively encourages them to set up Web3 tools. When users visit your site via a public gateway, they are informed that they can speed up their experience by installing the IPFS desktop app or browser extension. While loading your site, a message continuously appears offering them an easy guide to set up their Web3 environment, drastically improving load times for future visits.

By doing this, IPFS Redirect makes the process of adopting Web3 seamless. Users are guided through every step without overwhelming them with technical jargon. They can continue using public gateways for immediate access, but the redirect nudges them toward the decentralized Web3 experience by making the benefits clear—faster load times, more reliable access, and no dependency on public gateways.

Web3 Domain Resolution

A powerful feature of IPFS Redirect is its ability to resolve Web3 domains—specifically from Unstoppable Domains. If your domain is Ethereum-based, this tool can now resolve it for your users without any need for browser extensions or additional setup! IPFS Redirect directly communicates with a Polygon network node using the public Polygon RPC to retrieve the most recent CID (Content Identifier) linked to your Web3 domain.

This means that users accessing your Web3 domain will always land on the most up-to-date version of your IPFS-hosted site, without any manual intervention on their part. IPFS Redirect automatically rebuilds the redirect link with the latest CID and sends the user seamlessly to the new content. Whether your domain content is updated regularly or infrequently, users will always be directed to the freshest version of your site.

Currently, this feature focuses on domains from Unstoppable Domains and operates on the Polygon network. However, IPFS Redirect is designed to support additional Web3 domain providers in the future, expanding the scope of decentralized content access. For now, this tool is completely free and open-source, prioritizing Ethereum-based Web3 domains, making it an essential solution for developers and creators looking to embrace the decentralized web.

How IPFS Redirect Works

When you use IPFS Redirect, the tool intelligently adapts to the user's environment. If they don’t have IPFS installed, it automatically wraps your link in a public gateway URL and starts loading your site. But that’s just the start: if the user’s connection through the public gateway fails or takes too long, the tool prevents a 500 error and retries the request behind the scenes.

The redirect also ensures that even if public gateways are unreliable, users won’t be left hanging. With options like Gateway Redundancy and Origin Isolation, IPFS Redirect makes sure users are seamlessly redirected to your site, no matter what. At the same time, the tool displays clear, unobtrusive instructions on how to improve their experience by setting up Web3 tools, transforming occasional visitors into engaged, long-term Web3 users.

Now, with the Web3 domain resolution feature, the process is even smoother for users of Ethereum-based domains from Unstoppable Domains. IPFS Redirect resolves the most recent CID linked to your Web3 domain, ensuring users always land on the latest version of your site, without needing any extensions or extra configuration.

Key Features

What makes IPFS Redirect stand out:

• Guaranteed Load: Ensures that users can always reach your IPFS site, even if public gateways fail, by continuously retrying and offering fallbacks.
• Web3 Domain Resolution: Automatically resolves Ethereum-based Web3 domains from Unstoppable Domains, using the Polygon network to retrieve the most recent CID and redirect users to the latest content without extensions or extra steps.
• Public Gateway Health Check: Automatically tests gateway availability before loading your content, reducing the risk of timeouts.
• Visual Feedback and Guided Setup: While your site is loading, users see a visual spinner and are guided toward setting up IPFS for faster, more reliable access.
• Origin Isolation: Ensures that critical resources and links on your site remain intact even when navigating within IPFS, preventing broken links or partial loads.
• Customizable Redirection: Offers developers control over how users are redirected, including the option to skip IPFS messages or provide detailed setup instructions.

Bringing IPFS and Web3 to the Mainstream

The ultimate goal of IPFS Redirect is to drive adoption of Web3 by removing the biggest barriers to entry—unreliable access and complicated setup processes. By making it easy for users to land on your IPFS site, and gently guiding them toward using Web3 tools like the IPFS app and browser extension, IPFS Redirect helps users discover the true benefits of decentralized technologies.

With the addition of Web3 domain resolution, IPFS Redirect goes even further in bridging the gap between Web2 and Web3. Users with Ethereum-based domains can now offer a fully decentralized, automatically updated web presence, ensuring that their audience always has access to the latest content.

How Easy Is It to Use?

IPFS Redirect was designed with simplicity in mind. Generating a custom redirect link takes just a few clicks. Enter your IPFS CID, generate the link, and share it with your users. The redirect system takes care of everything else. For a full walkthrough, watch the video below:

Conclusion

IPFS Redirect is more than just a link generator—it’s a tool that removes the technical and accessibility hurdles that stand in the way of Web3 adoption. By ensuring users can reliably access your IPFS-hosted content and guiding them toward setting up Web3 tools, it helps bridge the gap between the decentralized vision of the future and the practical realities of today’s web.

Whether you’re a developer looking to share your latest project or someone interested in the decentralized web, IPFS Redirect provides a powerful, simple solution for getting users to your IPFS content and helping them experience Web3. Check out the project on GitHub to get started!