301 vs 302 Redirect: Which to Use & When

The rule: Use a 301 for permanent moves (the old URL is gone forever). Use a 302 for temporary moves (the old URL will return). When in doubt, use a 301 — it is the safer default for SEO.

What is a 301 redirect?

A 301 redirect is an HTTP response code meaning “Moved Permanently.” It tells browsers and search engines that a URL has permanently changed to a new address. The old URL is gone for good.

From an SEO perspective, a 301 redirect passes most of the original page’s link equity to the new destination. Google consolidates signals (backlinks, crawl history, rankings) to the new URL over time.

What is a 302 redirect?

A 302 redirect means “Found” — in practice, “Moved Temporarily.” It tells search engines: this content is currently at another URL, but the original URL will come back, so keep it in the index.

Because the original URL is expected to return, search engines keep the old URL as the canonical version and do not fully consolidate link equity to the temporary destination.

SEO difference: link equity and indexing

Factor	301 Permanent	302 Temporary
Link equity passed	Yes (90–99%)	Partial / uncertain
Old URL removed from index	Yes, eventually	No, kept in index
Canonical signals consolidated	Yes, to new URL	No, old URL stays canonical
Correct for permanent moves	Yes	No
Correct for A/B tests	No	Yes

When to use a 301 redirect

Fixing broken links — the old page is gone, permanently redirect to the closest relevant page.
After a site migration or domain change — old URLs are permanently replaced by new ones.
After changing a URL slug (e.g. /blog/my-post-name → /my-post-name).
Merging duplicate pages — redirect the weaker one to the stronger canonical.
Changing from HTTP to HTTPS — every HTTP URL should 301 redirect to its HTTPS equivalent.

For step-by-step instructions on setting up 301s, see our guide to 301 redirects in WordPress.

When to use a 302 redirect

A/B testing — temporarily showing users an alternative version of a page while measuring results.
Maintenance mode — redirecting a page temporarily while it is being rebuilt.
Geo-redirects — sending users to a regional version of a page (though this is complex and 302 alone is not sufficient for proper hreflang implementation).
Temporary campaign pages — a seasonal sale page that will return next year at the same URL.

Other redirect types to know

307 Temporary Redirect — the HTTP/1.1 equivalent of 302. Preserves the HTTP method (POST stays POST). Use this instead of 302 for modern API and form interactions.
308 Permanent Redirect — the HTTP/1.1 equivalent of 301. Preserves the HTTP method. For browser navigation (GET requests), 301 and 308 are functionally the same.
410 Gone — signals a page is permanently removed with no replacement. Use this when there is no relevant redirect destination — it is better than a 404 for pages you want Google to de-index quickly.

Apply the right 301 redirects automatically

FixLinks AI detects your broken URLs and uses AI to suggest the correct permanent 301 redirect for each one.

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Frequently asked questions

Does a 302 redirect pass link equity?

Technically, Google has said it now treats 302 redirects similarly to 301s in terms of passing link equity. However, best practice is still to use a 301 for permanent moves — it is the semantically correct signal and avoids any ambiguity about whether the move is permanent.

When should I use a 302 redirect?

Use a 302 when you are temporarily moving a page: A/B testing an alternative URL, taking a page down for maintenance, or redirecting while you decide on the permanent destination. If the original URL will come back, use a 302. If it is gone forever, use a 301.

What happens if I use a 302 instead of a 301 for a permanent move?

Search engines may not fully transfer the ranking authority and link equity to the new URL. The old URL may still appear in the index as the canonical version, and over time Google may stop consolidating the signals correctly.

301 vs 302 Redirects: What's the Difference?