What is 301 vs 302 Redirect?
301 = permanent redirect, passes ranking signal. 302 = temporary redirect, doesn't (usually). Get this wrong and you can tank organic traffic.
Also known as: redirect status codes, permanent vs temporary redirect
When a URL needs to change, you redirect the old URL to the new one. The HTTP status code determines what Google does with the ranking signal.
**301 (Moved Permanently)** tells Google the move is permanent. Over time, the old URL's ranking authority transfers to the new URL. Use 301 for: site migrations, URL structure changes, retired pages with a clear replacement.
**302 (Found / Temporary)** tells Google the move is temporary. Google keeps indexing the old URL and doesn't transfer ranking authority. Use 302 for: A/B tests on a URL, geo-redirects, short-term campaigns.
The mistake most sites make: using 302 by accident for a permanent move. Server frameworks sometimes default to 302. The result: old URLs stay in Google's index, the new URL doesn't inherit the ranking, traffic drops for months. Always verify with a curl request or a tool like httpstatus.io.
Site migrations and URL changes are when redirect codes matter most. Getting them wrong can erase years of SEO work in a single deploy.
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