A redirect can look fine and still cause trouble. The visitor reaches the right page, so the job seems done. But search engines also read the status code behind the redirect, and that code decides which URL Google shows in its results.
The short answer to 301 vs 302 redirect: use a 301 when a page has moved for good, and a 302 when the move is only for now. With a 301, Google shows the new URL in search. With a 302, it keeps showing the old one. If you're not sure what your site sends today, paste the URL into our free Redirect Checker and you'll see every hop and its code.
The reassuring part is that most redirect mistakes are easy to fix once you can see them. Pick the code that matches the truth, check it, and clean up anything that's off.
301 vs 302 Redirect: The Short Answer
A 301 means "moved permanently" and a 302 means "moved temporarily." Choose the one that honestly describes what happened to your page.
A redirect sends a visitor, or a search engine robot, from one URL to another. The server does this by replying with an HTTP status code, a three-digit number that says what happened with the request. For example, 200 means "OK" and 404 means "not found."
A redirect reply also includes a Location header. That's the line in the reply that holds the new address.
- Moved for good? Use a 301 (or a 308).
- Coming back soon? Use a 302 (or a 307).
- Not sure yet? Hold off on the 301. Google says to use permanent redirects only when you're sure the redirect won't be reverted.
What Do 301, 302, 303, 307 and 308 Mean?
There are five common redirect codes, and they fall into two groups: permanent and temporary. The official rulebook for them is RFC 9110: HTTP Semantics, published by the IETF in June 2022. The IANA HTTP Status Code Registry lists the same codes.
One term needs a quick explanation first. The HTTP method is the type of request a browser makes. GET asks for a page, and POST sends data, such as a filled-in contact form.
| Code | Name | Plain meaning | Method kept? | Google treats it as |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301 | Moved Permanently | The page has a new home for good | Not guaranteed (a POST may become GET) | Permanent |
| 308 | Permanent Redirect | Same as 301, but stricter | Yes | Permanent |
| 302 | Found | The page is somewhere else for now | Not guaranteed (a POST may become GET) | Temporary |
| 307 | Temporary Redirect | Same as 302, but stricter | Yes | Temporary |
| 303 | See Other | Go load another page with a normal GET request | No, it becomes GET | Temporary |
So why do 307 and 308 exist? RFC 9110 explains that, for historical reasons, 301 and 302 let a browser turn a POST into a GET. The newer codes were added so the method stays exactly the same.
That matters for forms and APIs. An API is a way for two pieces of software to send data to each other. For a normal web page, the difference rarely matters.
301 vs 302 vs 307: does Google care which one you pick?
For Google Search, a 307 works like a 302, and a 308 works like a 301. Google still suggests using the code that truly fits, because other software, such as other search engines and e-readers, may treat them differently.
Our advice is simple. Use 301 and 302 for ordinary pages, and save 307 or 308 for cases where your developer needs the method kept.
How Does Google Treat Permanent vs Temporary Redirects?
Google reads a permanent redirect as a signal that the new URL should become the main one. A temporary redirect isn't read that way, so the old URL usually stays in search results.
The canonical signal
The canonical URL is the main, preferred address of a page, the one search engines should show. According to Google Search Central: Redirects and Google Search, Google groups 301 and 308 as permanent, and 302, 303 and 307 as temporary.
With a permanent redirect, Google treats the target as the likely canonical and shows the new URL in results. With a temporary one, it shows the source page. The target can still get indexed if other signals point to it, but the redirect alone won't make that happen.
Do 301s lose ranking power?
No. Google's site-move guide states that 301 and other permanent redirects don't cause a loss in PageRank. PageRank, often called link equity, is the ranking value a page gets from the links pointing to it.
You may still find older blog posts claiming a 301 "leaks" a fixed share of that value. No official source backs a number like that, so we wouldn't plan around it.
Does a 302 turn into a 301 over time?
Sometimes Google may treat a 302 as permanent, but don't build your plan on it. SEO tool maker Ahrefs reports that this happens when the canonical Google picks matches the one you declared, which you can see in Search Console's URL Inspection tool. If the two don't match, the 302 stays temporary.
That's an outside observation, not a promise from Google. If a move is permanent, switch the 302 to a 301 and remove the guesswork.
301 vs 302 redirect caching
A 301 is meant to last, and browsers may remember it so they can skip the old URL on later visits. That helps speed. The risk comes when you set a 301 by mistake, because some visitors may keep landing in the wrong place even after you fix the server.
The safe rule is easy to follow. Test every redirect before launch, and start with a 302 while you're still deciding.
Which Redirect Should You Use? A Decision Table
Ask one question: will the old URL ever come back? If the answer is no, use a 301. If it's yes, use a 302.
| Situation | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Moving from HTTP to HTTPS | 301 | The secure version is the new home for good |
| Picking www or non-www as your main version | 301 | Only one version should be indexed |
| Changing your domain (for example, after a rebrand) | 301 | The old domain won't return |
| Changing a page's URL slug | 301 | The new address replaces the old one |
| Merging two similar or duplicate pages | 301 | Send both to the stronger page |
| A/B testing a new page design | 302 | The original page stays the main one |
| Short maintenance page | 302 | The real page comes back soon |
| Black Friday or holiday sale page | 302 | The redirect ends when the sale ends |
| Product out of stock for a short time | 302 | The product page returns when stock is back |
| Sending visitors to a country or language page | 302 | The right page depends on the visitor |
| A short link whose destination may change | 302 | You keep the freedom to point it elsewhere |
US small business examples
Say a Texas plumbing company renames itself and buys a new domain. Every old page should 301 to its matching new page, not just to the homepage. That way, someone who clicks an old "water heater repair" link still lands on water heater repair.
Now picture an online store that sends a sold-out jacket to a "back soon" category page for two weeks. That's a 302, because the jacket page will go live again.
One more is easy to miss: the website link in your Google Business Profile, your free listing on Google Search and Maps. If it points to an old URL that redirects, update it to the final URL. Our Google Business Profile checklist covers other small fixes like this one.
301 vs 302 forwarding and CNAME vs 301 redirect
Many domain registrars offer "domain forwarding" with a choice of permanent (301) or temporary (302). The same rule applies: permanent for good, temporary for now.
A CNAME works differently. It's a DNS record, and DNS is the internet's address book that tells browsers where your site lives. A CNAME points one hostname to another behind the scenes. It doesn't send a status code or change the URL in the address bar, so it can't replace a 301 for SEO.
If you're changing DNS records during a move, our post on how long DNS propagation takes explains the wait.
Signs Your Redirects Are Causing Problems
Redirect trouble usually shows up as slow pages, old URLs in Google or browser errors. These are the warning signs site owners tend to spot first:
- Google keeps showing your old URL months after you moved the page.
- A page feels slow to start loading, even though the page itself is light.
- The browser shows "too many redirects" or a similar error.
- Google Search Console, Google's free report on how your site appears in search, flags a "redirect error" for some pages.
- Rankings dropped after a site move, a new theme or a switch to HTTPS.
None of these means your site is ruined. They simply tell you where to look first.
Why Redirects Go Wrong: The Common Causes
Most redirect problems come from a handful of repeat mistakes. Here's each one and why it causes harm.
1. A 302 used for a permanent move
Some plugins, hosting panels and quick code snippets can set a 302 when you don't choose otherwise. The page still works for visitors, so nobody notices. Google, though, keeps treating the old URL as the main one.
2. Redirect chains after several changes
A redirect chain happens when URL A sends you to B, and B sends you to C. Each single jump is called a hop, and each hop adds waiting time.
Chains often build up quietly over the years. For example, a site first moves from HTTP to HTTPS, then from non-www to www, then renames a page slug.
3. Redirect loops
A redirect loop sends visitors in a circle, so they never reach a page. It often starts when two rules fight each other, such as one rule adding "www" and another removing it.
4. Everything sent to the homepage
When old pages are deleted, sending them all to the homepage is tempting. But visitors who wanted a specific service or product end up lost. Search engines may also treat these as soft 404s, pages that act like "not found" without saying so.
A better approach is to send each old URL to its closest match. If nothing fits, let it return a 404 (not found) or 410 (gone for good).
5. Different redirects for bots or countries
Some sites send visitors to different pages by device or country. If Googlebot, Google's crawling robot, gets sent somewhere unexpected, Google may index the wrong page.
6. Redirects removed too soon or left in your own links
Google's site moves and migrations guide says to keep redirects as long as possible, generally at least 1 year, so all signals can transfer. Many site owners also forget to update their menus, internal links and XML sitemap, the file that lists your pages for search engines. Their site then keeps pointing at its own old URLs.
Cause → Fix Table
Match what you find on your site to the fix in the right column.
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| 302 on a permanent move | Change the rule to a 301 at the server |
| Redirect chain | Point the first URL straight to the final URL |
| Redirect loop | Find the two rules that conflict and remove one |
| All old pages sent to the homepage | Build a redirect map to the closest matching pages |
| Bots redirected differently | Check as Googlebot and remove bot-only rules |
| Redirects removed too early | Put them back and keep them at least 1 year |
| Old URLs in menus or sitemap | Update internal links and regenerate the sitemap |
How to Check Redirect Status Code (Step by Step)
The quickest way is an online checker that lists every hop. Here's how to do it with our free Redirect & HTTP Status Checker. It works in your browser, with no sign-up.
Step 1: Enter your URLs
Paste one URL, or up to 10 URLs at once. After a site move, try the HTTP and HTTPS versions plus the www and non-www versions of your homepage. You'll see right away whether every version lands on the same final page.
Step 2: Choose a user agent
A user agent is the label a browser or bot sends to say who it is. Pick Googlebot, Chrome (desktop), iPhone (Safari) or Bingbot.
Run the check once as Chrome and once as Googlebot. If the results differ, your site treats Google differently from your visitors, and that deserves a closer look.
Step 3: Read each hop
Start the check. The tool lists every hop from the first URL to the final page, following up to 10 hops per URL. Each hop shows its status code, response time and HTTP headers.
A healthy result for a moved page is short and clear: one 301 hop, then a 200 on the final URL.
What the SEO warnings mean
- Temporary redirect: a 302 or 307 was found. That's fine for a sale or test, but wrong for a permanent move.
- Long chain: too many hops before the final page.
- Loop: the URLs send you in a circle.
- Broken URL: the chain ends in an error, such as a 404 or a 5xx (server error).
About privacy: the tool page states that results are not stored.
Quick alternatives
You can also open your browser's developer tools, go to the Network tab, turn on "Preserve log" and reload the page. The Status column shows each code.
If you use the command line, curl -I https://example.com shows the first reply, and curl -IL https://example.com follows the whole chain.
One caution: a page can show 200 OK and still redirect through JavaScript or a meta refresh, which is a redirect written inside the page itself. Google says server-side redirects, the ones set on the server, have the best chance of being read correctly.
Redirect Chain Fix: How Many Hops Are Too Many?
Google's site-move guide suggests ideally no more than 3 hops, and fewer than 5. Long chains add delay for users, and not all browsers support them.
Googlebot follows up to 10 hops by default, according to Google's guide to HTTP status codes. If it doesn't reach the content by then, Search Console reports a redirect error.
Shorter chains help people too, since every hop is another wait before the page starts loading. If page speed is a worry, our guide on how to speed up your website covers other quick wins.
- Find the final URL. Run the chain through the Redirect Checker and note the last URL that returns 200.
- Update the first redirect. Change the rule so the old URL goes straight to the final URL in one 301 hop.
- Update the middle steps. Point every URL in the chain straight to the final page.
- Fix your own links. Change menus, buttons and internal links to the final URL, so no redirect is needed at all.
- Refresh your sitemap. List only final URLs. Our free XML Sitemap Generator can help.
- Recheck. Run the same URLs again and confirm you see one hop, then a 200.
How to Prevent Redirect Problems Next Time
A little planning before a change prevents most of the cleanup later. This short checklist keeps the risky parts under control.
Before launch
- Build a redirect map: a spreadsheet that matches each old URL to its closest new URL.
- Choose 301 or 302 for each row using the decision table above.
- Test on a staging copy first. A staging copy is a private version of your site for testing, and it lets you catch a wrong 301 before browsers remember it.
After launch
- Bulk check your most important old URLs, 10 at a time.
- Check as Googlebot as well as Chrome.
- Watch the Page indexing report in Google Search Console for redirect errors.
- Ask sites that send you a lot of visitors through links to update those links to your new URLs.
Ongoing
- Keep redirects for at least 1 year. Google also suggests you consider keeping them for good, for the sake of visitors.
- Recheck after CMS or plugin updates, theme changes and SSL certificate changes.
If you'd rather hand this off, our SEO services team handles technical SEO, including redirect maps and migration checks. When we build a site through our web development service, SEO and performance are built in from day one. Our post-launch maintenance plans then cover updates, security patches, backups and performance monitoring.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect?
A 301 means a page moved for good, while a 302 means it moved for now. Google shows the new URL in search for a 301 and usually keeps the old URL for a 302.
Does a 302 redirect pass SEO value?
A 302 doesn't tell Google to make the new URL the main one. Google may still index the target if other signals support it, but for a permanent move, a 301 is the safe choice.
Does a 301 redirect lose link equity or PageRank?
No. Google's site-move guide says 301 and other permanent redirects don't cause a loss in PageRank.
When should I use a 302 instead of a 301?
Use a 302 when the original URL will come back. Common cases are A/B tests, short maintenance, sale pages, items briefly out of stock, and country or language routing.
How do I check if a redirect is 301 or 302?
Paste the URL into a redirect checker and read the status code on each hop. Our free Redirect Checker shows the code, response time and headers for each hop, for up to 10 URLs at once.
How long should I keep a 301 redirect?
Keep it for at least 1 year, which is Google's general advice. Keeping it for good is even better for visitors who use old links or bookmarks.
Is my data stored when I use the Redirect Checker?
No. The tool page states that results are not stored.
Next Step
Choosing between a 301 and a 302 comes down to one honest question: is the move permanent? Answer it, set the matching code, then check your work. Run your key URLs through the free Redirect Checker today and fix any chains or stray 302s while they're still small problems.
Planning a domain change, an HTTPS switch or a full redesign? We help clients worldwide with migrations, technical SEO and ongoing maintenance. You get a dedicated project manager, weekly demos and a fixed quote with milestones after a free discovery call, with no hidden costs.
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