HostedSiteDemo301 vs 302 Redirects: Which to Use
Use a 301 when a page has moved for good: search engines transfer its ranking signals and show the new URL. Use a 302 when the move is temporary and the original URL will return. If you are unsure, the move is almost always permanent, so use a 301.
The difference
| 301 Moved Permanently | 302 Found (temporary) | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The page has a new permanent address | The page is elsewhere for now |
| URL shown in Google | The new one | Usually the old one |
| Browsers cache it | Yes, often for a long time | No |
| Use for | New URL structure, merged pages, HTTPS, domain changes | Sales pages, A/B tests, maintenance, geo or login redirects |
Because browsers cache 301s, test a new 301 in a private window, and be sure before you set one: a wrong permanent redirect can stick in visitors’ browsers after you fix it.
Avoid chains and loops
A chain is a redirect to a URL that redirects again: /a → /b → /c. Each hop adds a round trip for visitors and Google follows only a limited number. When you move a page that is already the target of older redirects, update those older rules to point straight at the final URL. A loop (/a → /b → /a) breaks the page entirely.
Checklist for moving pages or a whole site
- List every old URL with traffic or links, from analytics, Search Console and your old sitemap.
- Map each one to the most relevant new page. Avoid sending everything to the home page.
- Create 301s with the redirect generator, and test a sample with
curl -I. - Update internal links, canonical tags and the sitemap to the new URLs, so you are not relying on redirects internally.
- For a domain change, use the Change of Address tool in Google Search Console.
- Watch Search Console for 404s over the following weeks and add any redirects you missed.
Frequently asked questions
Do 301 redirects lose SEO value?
Google has said that 301, 302 and other server-side redirects do not lose PageRank. A permanent redirect also tells Google to show the new URL in results. The real risks are redirecting to an unrelated page, which Google may treat as a soft 404, and long chains.
How long should I keep 301 redirects?
At least a year, and ideally for good. Google recommends keeping them for at least a year after a move; old links and bookmarks keep arriving for much longer, and a redirect costs almost nothing to keep.
What are 307 and 308 redirects?
They are the strict versions of 302 and 301. 307 (temporary) and 308 (permanent) guarantee the browser repeats the same request method, so a form POST stays a POST. For normal page moves, 301 and 302 are fine.