What Is a Redirect? Meaning, Usage & Practical Examples Explained

When running a website, URL changes and site migrations are unavoidable. That's where redirects become essential. Without proper redirect setup, users hit 404 errors and the SEO equity you've built up can be lost.

This article systematically covers the basics of redirects, the differences between 301 and 302, concrete setup methods, SEO implications, and common mistakes to avoid.

What Is a Redirect?

A redirect is a mechanism that automatically forwards users and search engines from one URL to another. Defined as an HTTP status code, it works by the server sending the browser an instruction that says "this page has moved to a different location."

For example, when a user accesses an old page (example.com/old), a redirect automatically sends them to the new page (example.com/new). From the user's perspective, the browser address bar switches instantly, so they barely notice the transfer.

Common scenarios requiring redirects include domain changes, page URL restructuring, HTTP to HTTPS migration, www/non-www normalization, duplicate content canonicalization, and page consolidation.

Types of Redirects: 301 vs. 302

While there are several types of redirects, the two most important for SEO are 301 and 302 redirects. They look the same to users, but the "intent" they communicate to search engines is fundamentally different.

301 Redirect (Permanent)

A 301 redirect indicates that a page has permanently moved to a new URL. When a search engine receives a 301, it replaces the old URL's index with the new URL and transfers link equity (link juice) almost completely. Use this when there are no plans to revert to the original URL.

Google officially recommends 301 redirects as "the best method for ensuring that Google Search and users are directed to the correct page." When in doubt, 301 is the safe choice.

302 Redirect (Temporary)

A 302 redirect indicates that a page has temporarily moved to another URL. Since the assumption is "the original URL will eventually return," search engines keep the old URL in their index.

302 is appropriate for temporary transfers during site maintenance, directing users to time-limited campaign pages, and temporary page swaps during A/B testing.

301 vs. 302 Quick Reference

Use 301 for permanent URL changes, 302 for temporary transfers. With 301, SEO equity transfers quickly to the new URL, which gets indexed. With 302, the old URL remains indexed and equity transfer takes longer. Using 302 for a permanent move risks the new URL never getting indexed and traffic failing to recover.

Today's Google states that both 301 and 302 pass PageRank, but the key difference lies in which URL Google chooses to index and display in search results.