TECHNICAL SEO
301 redirect: what it means and when to use it
A permanent move from one URL to another; the standard way to change URLs without losing search visibility.
- Beginner level
- 2 primary sources
- Reviewed 29 October 2026
- TopicTechnical SEOAlso in Crawling, rendering & indexing, SEO auditing & troubleshooting
- LevelBeginnerNo background needed
- Also calledpermanent redirect
- Sources2 primary sourcesGoogle Search Central, IETF
- Reviewed29 October 2026Re-checked every 12 months
On this page
Quick definition
A 301 redirect is an HTTP response that tells browsers and crawlers a URL has moved permanently to a new address. Search engines follow it and treat it as a strong signal that the new URL should replace the old one in results.
Why it matters
URLs change during redesigns, migrations, product renames and HTTPS moves. A permanent redirect sends visitors, bookmarks and backlinks to the right page and tells search engines to transfer the old URL’s place to the new one. Without it, the old URL becomes a 404 and its links point nowhere.
Permanent and temporary redirects compared
| Code | Type | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| 301 Moved Permanently | Permanent | The old URL is gone for good |
| 308 Permanent Redirect | Permanent, keeps the request method | Same as 301; common for APIs and form posts |
| 302 Found | Temporary | The original will come back, e.g. a short campaign or out-of-stock swap |
| 307 Temporary Redirect | Temporary, keeps the request method | Same as 302 |
Server-side redirects are the clearest signal. Meta refresh and JavaScript redirects work as fallbacks when you cannot change server responses. Googlebot follows up to 10 hops in a redirect chain, but every hop adds delay and another chance to fail.
Example: a migration redirect map
| Old URL | New URL | Note |
|---|---|---|
| /product/samsung-a55-128gb | /phones/samsung-galaxy-a55/ | One-to-one: the closest equivalent |
| /category/smartphones/ | /phones/ | Category to category |
| /product/discontinued-tablet | /tablets/ | No equivalent: the nearest relevant category, or a 404/410 if nothing fits |
Redirecting every retired URL to the homepage is treated by Google as a soft 404: the visitor wanted something specific and got something generic.
How to check it
- Request the old URL and confirm one hop to a 200 page, with the status you intended (301 or 308 for permanent moves).
- Find chains (A → B → C) and loops, and point every old URL directly at the final destination.
- Update internal links, canonicals and sitemaps to use the new URLs, so redirects are only a safety net.
- Keep redirects for a migration in place for at least a year; Google recommends keeping them as long as possible.
Common mistakes and misconceptions
Myth 301 redirects lose a share of PageRank.
In fact Google has said that 3xx redirects do not lose PageRank. Chains still cost crawl time and can fail.
Myth 302 redirects never pass signals.
In fact Google may treat a long-standing 302 as permanent. Use the code that matches your intent rather than relying on that.
Check it on your site
Free tools, no sign-up
- FreeRedirect Chain CheckerFollow every redirect from a URL, hop by hop, with status codes and timings, and spot chains, temporary redirects and dead ends.Open the tool
- FreeRedirect Map GeneratorMatch a list of old URLs to new ones by the words in their paths, and export 301 rules for Apache, Nginx or redirect plugins.Open the tool
- FreeRedirect Mapping ValidatorCheck a redirect map for chains, loops, duplicates and self-redirects, then test the first rows live.Open the tool
- FreeBulk HTTP Status CheckerCheck up to 25 URLs at once: status code, final URL after redirects, number of redirects and response time.Open the tool
In the NdovuSEOLabs platform
Run the same checks on every page of your site, with your own data.
Sources and review
- Redirects and Google Search Google Search Central
- RFC 9110: HTTP Semantics IETF
Written and maintained by Ndovu SEO Labs. First published 29 October 2026. Facts last checked against the sources above on 29 October 2026. How we write and review the glossary.