Redirecting to Another Page After a Short Delay in Evolution CMS

The classic delayed redirect pattern looks like this:

<?php
header('Refresh: 5; URL=http://example.com/next-page.html');
print 'You will be redirected in 5 seconds.';
exit;

The old question was essentially whether this should be handled through MODX/Evolution internals or simply implemented directly.

The Short Answer

If the redirect is simple and deliberate, a small explicit implementation is often the right choice. The CMS does not need to own every temporary redirect pattern.

When This Pattern Is Appropriate

• thank-you pages after a one-time action
• short-lived migration messages
• manual transitional flows where user feedback matters

What to Watch Out For

• do not rely on this for critical SEO redirects
• prefer proper HTTP redirects when no delay is needed
• keep the user message explicit so the delay feels intentional

The main lesson is that not every behavior needs a plugin or snippet abstraction. Sometimes the simple redirect is the correct one.