301 vs 302 Redirects: Which One Should You Use for SEO?

Use a 301 redirect when a URL has moved permanently and a 302 redirect when the move is temporary. A 301 tells Google to replace the old URL with the new one in its index and to consolidate ranking signals there. A 302 tells Google the original URL will come back, so it usually keeps the old URL indexed. If you are not sure, the move is almost always permanent — use a 301.

Key takeaways: 301 and 308 = permanent · 302 and 307 = temporary · all four pass ranking signals · chains of several redirects slow users and crawlers · test every redirect with the Redirect Checker.

What is a redirect?

A redirect is a server response that sends browsers and crawlers from one URL to another. Instead of returning the page with a 200 OK status, the server answers with a 3xx status code and a Location header that contains the new address. Browsers follow it instantly; users usually never notice.

You need redirects whenever an address changes: a site moves to HTTPS, a domain is renamed, a blog post gets a new slug, products are merged, or old pages are removed. Without them, visitors and search engines hit a 404 error and every backlink pointing to the old URL is wasted.

301 vs 302 vs 307 vs 308 at a glance

Status	Name	Type	Keeps HTTP method?	Typical use
301	Moved Permanently	Permanent	Not guaranteed (POST may become GET)	Site migrations, HTTPS, changed slugs
308	Permanent Redirect	Permanent	Yes	Permanent moves of forms and APIs
302	Found	Temporary	Not guaranteed	Short campaigns, A/B tests, maintenance
307	Temporary Redirect	Temporary	Yes	Temporary moves that must keep POST; browsers also use it internally for HSTS

How Google treats each redirect

Google has stated that 301, 302, 307 and 308 redirects all pass PageRank. The difference is about canonicalisation — which URL Google chooses to show in search results:

• Permanent (301/308): a strong signal that the target should become the canonical URL. The old URL drops out of the index, usually within days or weeks.
• Temporary (302/307): a weak signal. Google often keeps showing the original URL because it expects it to return. If a 302 stays in place for a long time, Google may eventually treat it like a 301 — but you lose control over when that happens.

That is why the classic mistake — implementing a permanent site move with 302s — can leave old URLs ranking for months while the new ones struggle.

When to use a 301 redirect

1. Moving to HTTPS — redirect every http:// URL to its https:// version.
2. Changing domain — redirect each old URL to the matching new URL, not everything to the new home page.
3. Choosing www or non-www — pick one host and redirect the other.
4. Renaming or merging pages — redirect the old slug to the new one, or several thin pages to one stronger page.
5. Removing a page that has backlinks — redirect to the closest relevant page so the link value is not lost.

When a 302 is the right choice

• A product is temporarily out of stock and you send visitors to a category page.
• You run an A/B test that sends some users to an alternative version.
• A seasonal landing page (for example a Black Friday page) should only be live for a few weeks.
• URL shorteners — they use temporary redirects on purpose so every click can be counted and the destination can be edited. Our URL Shortener works this way.

Redirect chains and loops: the hidden cost

A redirect chain is a series of redirects, for example http://example.com → https://example.com → https://www.example.com → https://www.example.com/. Each extra hop adds latency (often 100–300 ms on mobile networks) and Googlebot stops following after about ten hops. A redirect loop (A → B → A) makes the page unreachable.

Fix chains by pointing the first rule straight at the final URL and updating internal links so they never trigger a redirect in the first place. The Bulk HTTP Status Code Checker shows which internal links still redirect.

How to implement a 301 redirect

On Apache servers, add a rule to .htaccess:

Redirect 301 /old-page https://example.com/new-page

For whole-site rules such as HTTPS plus non-www in a single hop, use mod_rewrite — the Htaccess Redirect Generator writes the exact code. On nginx, use return 301 https://example.com$request_uri;. In WordPress, a redirect plugin or your SEO plugin's redirect manager does the same job without editing files.

How to check a redirect in 10 seconds

1. Open the Redirect Checker.
2. Paste the old URL and click Check now.
3. Read the chain: every hop shows its status code and timing. You want one 301 hop ending in 200 OK.

If you see a 302 where the move is permanent, change the server rule. If you see more than one hop, simplify the rules. Then check the final page's headers with the HTTP Headers Checker to confirm there is no stray noindex.

The bottom line

Default to 301 (or 308) for anything permanent, keep 302 (or 307) for genuinely temporary situations, avoid chains, and verify every change. A few minutes of checking after a migration protects years of accumulated rankings.

Frequently asked questions