Introduction
Directing traffic is a natural process for operating a website. Pages are removed, URLs are redirected, sites go to a different domain. With redirect, you can avoid broken links, and you can send users to the correct location automatically.
But not all redirects are created equally. The two most common are 301 (permanent) and 302 (temporary). Domain forwarding and URL redirection are often confused, although they are not the same thing. Picking the wrong one can be detrimental to your SEO.
Here we break down what each redirect does, how they impact rankings, and when you should use one vs. the other.
What Is a 301 Redirect?
A 301 redirect means that the page permanently moved to the new location.
When someone goes to the old URL, they are automatically redirected to the new one. Search engines also refresh their index so that most of the “link equity” (ranking power) from the old page is transferred to the new page.
Common uses for 301 redirects:
- Website migration: Moving your site to a new domain name
- URL alterations: Correcting typos or updating slugs
- HTTPS migration: HTTP to HTTPS
- Content consolidation: Merging two similar pages into one
- Deleting a page: Sending traffic to nearest replacement
- Duplicate pages: When multiple versions of your website point to a single canonical URL (such as www vs non-www)
A 301 redirect is cached by the browsers, so it’s fast. But, because it’s considered permanent, it’s more difficult to reverse.
What Is a 302 Redirect?
A 302 redirect signals to the browser and search engines that a page has been moved on a temporary basis.
The old URL remains in the search index and the new page typically does not inherit ranking signals. That’s because search engines like the original page to return later on.
Common uses for 302 redirects:
- Site maintenance: putting a page on hiatus
- A/B testing: Sending a portion of your audience to a test page
- Promotional flash sales: Overriding product pages for seasonal sales
- A/B testing (variant): Presenting a new version to users without removing the old
Unlike 301, most browsers don’t cache 302 redirects. As the browser checks the server each time the user visits, this makes them easier to reverse, and 302s are the easiest to undo.
SEO Impact of 301 vs 302
Redirects are important because they affect how ranking signals are passed from search engines.
- 301 redirect: PageRank (link equity) is also transferred to the new page. Over time, the new URL takes over the place of the old URL in search results.
- 302 redirect: No content is changed and the original page is still indexed. The temporary page isn’t typically going to achieve ranking power.
⚠️ One important thing to note: if a 302 is left in place for a long period of time (more than ~6 months), search engines can start to regard it as a 301.
If you really only need a temporary redirect, remove it once you don’t need it anymore.
Slight Browser Caching Differences
Redirects don’t just have an impact on SEO. They also influence how browsers deal with repeated visits.
- 301 redirects are typically cached.
Once a browser sees the redirect, it remembers it. Next time the user visits the old URL, the browser does not go to the server at all — it loads the new page directly.- ✅ Faster performance
- ❌ Harder to reverse
- 302 redirects are rarely cached.
Each time a user visits the old URL, the browser checks with the server. If it’s still a redirect, it applies it. If not, it loads the original page.- ✅ Easier to reverse
- ❌ Slightly slower
When to Choose a 301 Redirect
If the change is permanent, use a 301 redirect.
Real-world cases:
- Migrating to a new domain
If you change your site from example.com to newexample.com, a 301 tells Google that the authority from the old domain should be transferred to the new one.
Changing URL structure
Maybe you want cleaner slugs:
Old: example.com/blog?id=123
New: example.com/blog/seo-tips
- A 301 tells users and Google this is the new permanent location.
- Merging or pruning content
If you have many thin articles on the same topic, you may combine them into one stronger article. A 301 points the old URLs to the new one and consolidates their ranking signals. - HTTPS upgrade
The classic example: redirect all http:// versions to https://. - Product replacement
If a product is deprecated, redirecting to the new version prevents users from landing on a dead page.
When to Choose a 302 Redirect
If you plan to restore the original page later, use a 302 redirect.
Some cases:
- Temporary maintenance
Redirect users to another page while you work on the original. - A/B testing
Direct traffic to both the old version and a test version using 302 redirects. This preserves the SEO of the original page. - Seasonal promotions
On Black Friday you could point your product category page to a temporary promo page. Once the sale ends, you delete the redirect. - Testing new features
You may want to test a new checkout flow with everyone. A 302 keeps the authority with the original URL if you roll back.
Risks of Deploying the Wrong Redirect
Making the wrong choice can cause problems.
- Using 302 instead of 301
Google may think the move is temporary and keep the old URL indexed. The new page won’t get link equity, and rankings could split between the two pages. - Using 301 instead of 302
If the change was meant to be temporary, the original page could lose rankings permanently. Even if you restore it later, recovery can take time.
⚠️ A common mistake is leaving a 302 in place for months. Search engines might start treating it as a 301, transferring authority to the temporary page. That can disrupt indexing if you wanted to restore the original.
How to Implement Redirects
The method depends on your hosting setup and tools available:
.htaccess file (Apache servers):
Configure redirects at the server level. Example:
Redirect 301 /old-page https://example.com/new-page
- WordPress plugins:
Tools like Redirection let you manage 301 and 302 without coding. - CMS tools:
Most CMS (Drupal, Joomla, etc.) have built-in redirect controls. - DNS-level redirects:
Configure domain-to-domain redirection at the DNS level. Best for domain migration, but less flexible.
⚠️ Always test carefully.
- Redirect chains (Page A → Page B → Page C): slow things down and dilute equity.
- Redirect loops (Page A → Page B → Page A): can break the site entirely.