301 vs 302 Redirects: Complete Guide to HTTP Redirects in 2025

Understanding the crucial differences between 301 and 302 redirects is essential for maintaining SEO rankings and providing optimal user experience. This comprehensive guide covers when to use each type and their impact on search engines.

Updated: January 12, 2025 • 8 min read

What Are HTTP Redirects?

HTTP redirects are server responses that tell browsers and search engines that a resource has moved to a different location. When implemented correctly, redirects ensure users and search engines can find your content even when URLs change.

The two most common redirect types are 301 (permanent) and 302 (temporary), each serving different purposes and having distinct SEO implications. Understanding when to use each is crucial for maintaining search engine rankings and user experience.

Important: Incorrect redirect implementation can lead to significant SEO penalties and lost traffic. Always test your redirects using our redirect checker tool before deployment.

301 Permanent Redirects

A 301 redirect indicates that a page has permanently moved to a new location. This is the most SEO-friendly redirect type as it passes approximately 90-99% of the original page's ranking power to the new URL.

When to Use 301 Redirects:

Permanently moving a page or entire website
Consolidating duplicate content
Changing domain names
Migrating from HTTP to HTTPS (learn more in our HTTPS migration guide)
Standardizing www vs non-www versions

SEO Benefit: 301 redirects preserve most of your page's SEO value, making them essential for maintaining rankings during site migrations or URL changes.

301 Redirect Example:

HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently
Location: https://example.com/new-page
Cache-Control: max-age=31536000

302 Temporary Redirects

A 302 redirect indicates that a page has temporarily moved to a new location. Unlike 301 redirects, search engines typically don't pass ranking signals to the destination URL, keeping the original URL indexed.

When to Use 302 Redirects:

A/B testing different page versions
Maintenance or temporary downtime pages
Seasonal promotions or temporary content
Geographic redirects based on user location
Mobile-specific temporary redirects

Important: 302 redirects don't pass SEO value to the destination URL. Use them only when you intend to restore the original URL later.

302 Redirect Example:

HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Location: https://example.com/temporary-page
Cache-Control: no-cache

Key Differences Between 301 and 302 Redirects

Aspect	301 Redirect	302 Redirect
Purpose	Permanent move	Temporary move
SEO Value Transfer	90-99% passed	Minimal/None
Search Index	Old URL replaced	Old URL maintained
Browser Caching	Long-term cached	Short-term/No cache
Ideal Use Case	Site migrations, permanent changes	A/B testing, maintenance

SEO Impact and Best Practices

The choice between 301 and 302 redirects significantly impacts your search engine rankings. Here's what you need to know:

301 Redirect SEO Benefits:

Preserves link equity and domain authority
Consolidates ranking signals to the new URL
Prevents duplicate content issues
Maintains user bookmarks and external links

302 Redirect SEO Considerations:

Original URL remains in search results
No ranking power transferred to destination
Useful for preserving original page rankings during tests
Can cause confusion if used long-term

Warning: Using 302 redirects for permanent moves can result in significant SEO losses. Always use 301 redirects for permanent changes.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Using 302 for Permanent Changes

Many developers mistakenly use 302 redirects for permanent URL changes, resulting in SEO value loss.

❌ Redirect Chains

Multiple redirects (A→B→C) slow page load times and dilute SEO value. Always redirect directly to the final destination.

❌ Not Testing Redirects

Failing to test redirects can result in broken links and poor user experience. Use tools like our redirect checker to verify implementation.

❌ Ignoring Mobile Redirects

Ensure your redirects work correctly on all devices and don't create unnecessary mobile-specific redirect chains.

Implementation Examples

Apache (.htaccess):

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

# 302 Temporary Redirect
Redirect 302 /temp-page https://example.com/temporary-location

Nginx:

# 301 Permanent Redirect
location /old-page {
    return 301 https://example.com/new-page;
}

# 302 Temporary Redirect
location /temp-page {
    return 302 https://example.com/temporary-location;
}

PHP:

Testing Your Redirects

Proper testing ensures your redirects work correctly and maintain SEO value. Our redirect checker tool helps you verify:

Correct redirect status codes (301 vs 302)
Redirect chain analysis and optimization
HTTPS and WWW canonicalization
Mobile redirect behavior
Response times and performance impact

Pro Tip: Test redirects in different browsers and clear your cache between tests to ensure accurate results. Browsers cache 301 redirects aggressively.