301 vs. 302 Redirects: Which to Use for Website Redesigns and Temporary Moves

Many sites leave redirects to ad hoc development: old pages use 302, finished campaigns redirect forever, and HTTP goes to www before HTTPS, forming two or three hops. Users wait slightly longer, while search and maintenance remain confused.

First ask whether the original URL will return. A permanent change generally uses a permanent redirect; only maintenance, testing, or temporary campaigns use a temporary one.

01 Use 301 for Permanent Moves and Canonicalization

Domain changes, URL restructuring, HTTP-to-HTTPS migration, duplicate consolidation, and permanently retired products are long-term changes. A 301 tells browsers and search engines to use the new address.

The destination must relate to the old content. Redirect an old product to its replacement or relevant category, not every page to home.

02 Use 302 for Truly Temporary States

Short campaigns, maintenance pages, temporary stock gaps, or A/B tests may use 302 so the original remains primary. Remove it when the temporary state ends.

Long-lived 302s obscure intent. Record an owner and expiration for every temporary redirect.

Redirect Scenario Guide

03 Avoid Redirect Chains and Loops

A-to-B-to-C adds request time and complicates diagnosis and signal transfer. After migration, point A directly to C and update internal links.

Loops often come from conflicting domain, trailing-slash, and language rules. Crawl and command-line test the full site before launch.

04 Point Internal Links Directly to Final URLs

Redirects preserve old entry points; they are not navigation. Menus, body links, canonicals, hreflang, and Sitemaps should all use final URLs.

Persistent internal redirects waste crawling, slow users, and show an incomplete content migration.

05 Keep Site-Migration Redirects Long Enough

Large migrations require recrawling and signal transfer, so permanent redirects should not disappear after weeks. Google generally recommends retaining migration redirects for at least one year, and users may justify longer.

Update high-traffic external links, ads, social profiles, and email templates to reduce long-term dependence.

06 Monitor Status and Traffic After Launch

Verify old URLs return the intended status, targets return 200, Soft 404s do not appear, and canonicals point to new addresses.

Ranking fluctuation is common during migration, but prolonged indexing gaps or heavy old-URL traffic require review of mappings, servers, and internal links.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a 301 Lose SEO Authority?

A correct one-to-one permanent redirect can transfer most relevant signals. Unrelated destinations, chains, omissions, and content-quality changes cause greater losses.

Does a Long-Running 302 Automatically Become a 301?

Search engines may infer permanence from long-term signals, but do not rely on guessing. Use a permanent redirect for a permanent business change.

What Is the Difference Between 301 and 308?

Both are permanent; 308 preserves the request method and body. A 301 is common for GET pages, while APIs and forms require developer review.

Should a Deleted Article Redirect to Its Category?

Only if the category satisfies the original intent. Otherwise return 404 or 410.

Can Redirects Use JavaScript?

Server-side HTTP redirects are generally more reliable. Use alternatives only when necessary and ensure users and crawlers handle them correctly.