How can we redirect traffic from non-SEO pages on our root domain to Webflow while preserving the complex database queries and high traffic of those pages on our self-hosted website?

To redirect traffic from non-SEO pages on your root domain to Webflow while maintaining complex database functionality and high-traffic performance, you’ll need a hybrid architecture combining Webflow for front-end SEO pages and your self-hosted system for dynamic/functional pages.

1. Use Webflow as a Reverse Proxy or Subdirectory Proxy

• Webflow does not support self-hosted sites natively, but you can serve Webflow on the root domain and forward specific paths to your self-hosted application.
• Use a reverse proxy or CDN (like Cloudflare Workers, AWS CloudFront Functions, or Netlify Edge Functions) to route traffic:
• Webflow SEO pages: Serve from Webflow (e.g., homepage, about, landing pages).
• App/database pages: Route to your backend (e.g., /app, /dashboard, /api).

Example:
yourdomain.com/ → Webflow
yourdomain.com/app → your server

2. Configure Domain to Point to a Reverse Proxy

• Do not point your A records directly to Webflow.
• Instead, point the root domain to your proxy (Cloudflare, NGINX, etc.).
• Let the proxy:
• Forward / paths to Webflow
• Forward specific routes (like /api, /login) to your own server

This maintains fast page delivery for content-heavy pages via Webflow while preserving your existing backend for logic-heavy routes.

3. Use Webflow in a Subdirectory (Advanced, via Proxy Only)

• While Webflow doesn’t natively support subdirectory publishing (e.g. serving on /blog), you can proxy Webflow content into a subdirectory using server configurations (e.g. NGINX, Cloudflare Workers).
• This allows your own site to remain dominant and only delegate certain directories (like /blog, /marketing) to Webflow.

4. Maintain SEO and Session Consistency

• Use canonical URLs and sitemap consistency so Webflow and your backend don’t conflict in Google search.
• Use shared cookies/Auth headers if users need sessions across both platforms (requires custom logic on your backend and edge proxy).

5. Scale Backend for Performance

• Since your backend handles high-traffic database queries, make sure you:
• Use caching for repeated queries (Redis, Memcached).
• Minimize DB locks and query time.
• Use load balancers or scale horizontally as needed.

Summary

To redirect non-SEO traffic while preserving backend complexity, set up a reverse proxy or edge function to serve Webflow and self-hosted content from the same root domain. Send static/SEO pages to Webflow and preserve your original routing for dynamic pages—all under a unified domain architecture.