Redirect

Key Takeaways

• A redirect sends visitors and search engine crawlers from one URL to another, commonly through server-side HTTP 3xx status codes.
• 301 and 308 redirects indicate permanent moves, while 302 and 307 redirects indicate temporary moves and preserve the original URL’s potential return.
• Permanent redirects help search engines treat the destination as canonical and transfer signals from the old URL without PageRank loss.
• Redirects support migrations, URL changes, HTTPS transitions, content consolidation, and relevant replacements, but unrelated destinations, chains, and loops should be avoided.

A redirect routes a browser or search engine crawler from one URL to a different URL. Most SEO redirects use HTTP 3xx status codes returned by the server, although redirects can also be implemented through HTML or JavaScript.

Redirects help visitors reach the correct content when URLs change, while giving search engines a clearer signal about whether a move is permanent or temporary. They are commonly used during site migrations, URL changes, HTTPS migrations, content consolidation, and the removal of pages that have suitable replacements. Google recommends redirects for many of these situations.

With a permanent redirect, the old URL is not expected to return as the primary location. A temporary redirect may be appropriate during an A/B test, short-term promotion, maintenance period, or another situation where the original URL is expected to become the main destination again.

Two Most Common Types of Redirects

The two redirects encountered most often in SEO and everyday website management are 301 and 302 redirects. The correct choice depends primarily on whether the URL change is permanent or temporary.

1. 301 Redirect (Permanent Move)

• What It Is: A 301 redirect indicates to search engines and browsers that a page has been permanently moved to a different location.
• SEO Impact: A 301 is a strong signal that the destination is intended to be treated as the preferred or canonical URL. Google states that properly implemented permanent redirects do not cause a loss in PageRank and allow signals associated with the old URL to be transferred to the new location.
• Best Used For: Permanent URL changes, domain migrations, changing a page’s URL slug, consolidating replaced content, or moving a website from HTTP to HTTPS.

2. 302 Redirect (Temporary Move)

• What It Is: A 302 redirect indicates to search engines and browsers that a URL has temporarily moved to another location and that the original URL may return.
• SEO Impact: Google generally continues to treat the source URL as the preferred URL because a temporary redirect is not a strong signal that the destination should replace it permanently. Other canonicalization signals can still influence which URL ultimately appears in search results.
• Best Used For: A/B testing, short-term promotions, temporary alternative pages during maintenance, or other short-term routing needs.

Other Redirects

Other redirect types are used when a move requires different technical behavior, such as preserving the request method or relying on client-side redirection.

• Meta Refresh Redirect: A meta refresh is a client-side redirect defined in HTML. A 0-second meta refresh is treated by Google as a permanent redirect signal, while a delayed refresh is treated as temporary. Server-side redirects are generally preferred when available.
• 308 Permanent Redirect: A 308 indicates a permanent move like a 301, but it guarantees that the HTTP method and request body originally sent are preserved during the redirected request.
• 307 Temporary Redirect: A 307 indicates a temporary move like a 302 while guaranteeing that the original request method and body remain unchanged. It does not replace the 302 status code; both remain valid.
• JavaScript Redirect: A JavaScript redirect changes the browser’s location after JavaScript executes. Google can process JavaScript redirects, but recommends using server-side redirects when possible because they can be processed more directly.

Redirect Types at a Glance

The table below summarizes the main redirect types, their typical purpose, and how search engines generally interpret them.

Google categorizes 301 and 308 as permanent server-side redirects and 302 and 307 as temporary server-side redirects.

Common Use Cases of Redirects

Redirects are useful whenever visitors or search engines need to be transferred from an outdated or alternative URL to a more appropriate destination.

1. Preventing Broken Links and Unhelpful 404 Journeys

When an old page has been removed but a genuinely relevant replacement exists, a redirect can send visitors and crawlers directly to the replacement rather than leaving them at a dead end. A page should not be redirected merely to avoid a 404 if no meaningful replacement exists.

2. Executing Site Migrations

A site migration may change the domain, URL structure, or both. Permanent redirects from each old URL to its corresponding new location help visitors continue reaching the correct content and allow search engines to process the move. Google’s site migration guidance recommends server-side permanent redirects for URL-changing migrations.

3. Consolidating Duplicate or Overlapping Content

Several pages covering substantially the same topic may be combined into one stronger resource. Permanent redirects can then send the retired URLs to the consolidated page and help concentrate indexing signals around the preferred version.

4. Managing Expired Products

A discontinued ecommerce product can be redirected to a genuinely equivalent replacement, such as a newer model. Redirecting unrelated products to a broad category or homepage simply to avoid a 404 can create a poor experience.

5. Renaming URLs

Changing a page from /old-seo-guide/ to /seo-guide/ normally calls for a permanent redirect from the old address to the new one.

6. Switching From HTTP to HTTPS

Permanent redirects can send each HTTP URL to its corresponding HTTPS version, ensuring that visitors and crawlers use the secure URL.

How to Add Redirects

The exact method depends on the CMS, hosting environment, and level of server access. Many modern website platforms provide a visual redirect manager, while developers can also configure redirects directly at the server level.

• WordPress: Redirects can be created through plugins such as Redirection or SEO plugins with redirect-management functionality. The Redirection plugin, for example, provides a visual interface for creating and maintaining redirects without requiring direct Apache or NGINX configuration.
• Wix: Open SEO & GEO → Tools and settings → URL Redirect Manager, select + New Redirect, choose Single redirect, and enter the old and new URLs. Wix also automatically creates 301 redirects for several page types when their URL slugs change.
• Shopify: Open Content → Menus → View URL Redirects in Shopify Admin, then select Create URL redirect and enter the old and destination URLs. Shopify redirects can only be created from URLs that would otherwise return an error such as 404.
• Server Configuration: Redirects can also be configured directly through web-server software such as Apache or NGINX. This approach is particularly useful for migrations, site-wide patterns, and HTTP-to-HTTPS rules. Google recommends permanent server-side redirects when technically possible.

Redirect Chains and Canonical Redirects

Redirects should ideally take visitors and crawlers directly to the intended destination. Additional redirect steps can make page requests slower and complicate crawling.

Redirect Chains

A redirect chain forms when a URL sends the request to a second URL, which then redirects again to another destination:

• Page A → Page B → Page C

Every additional step creates another HTTP request, adding latency for users and making crawling less efficient. Whenever possible, Page A should redirect directly to Page C.

Googlebot can follow a redirect chain through a maximum of 10 hops, but Google advises sending requests straight to the intended destination. If a chain cannot be avoided, it should remain very short, ideally three redirects or fewer.

Redirect loops are more serious. For example:

• Page A → Page B → Page A

Because the browser or crawler never reaches a final destination, the loop must be corrected.

Canonical Redirects

A canonical redirect is not a separate HTTP status code. The term describes the use of a permanent redirect to send duplicate or alternative URL versions to one preferred URL.

Examples include:

This helps keep visitors and search engines on the preferred version and consolidates indexing and ranking signals around that destination. Google considers permanent redirects a strong canonicalization signal.

Redirect Best Practices

Redirects should send visitors and search engines to the most appropriate destination while keeping URL changes clear, efficient, and consistent.

• Match the Redirect Type to the Intent: Use a 301 or 308 when the move is permanent and a 302 or 307 when the original URL is expected to return.
• Prevent Chains and Loops: Redirect old URLs directly to their final destination rather than creating unnecessary intermediate hops.
• Maintain Canonical Alignment: The destination page’s self-referencing canonical should point to the final preferred URL rather than an old or intermediate address.
• Keep Redirect Maps Clean: Periodically review legacy rules, obsolete mappings, redirect chains, loops, and conflicting redirects.
• Update Internal Links: Internal links should be changed to link straight to the final URL rather than permanently relying on redirects. Google explicitly advises updating internal links during site migrations.
• Keep Anchor Text Relevant: When internal links are updated, their anchor text should continue to accurately describe the destination content.
• Avoid Contextual Mismatches: A deleted article, product, or landing page should only be redirected when the destination is a useful replacement. Unrelated redirects can confuse visitors and search engines.
• Keep Important Permanent Redirects in Place: For site migrations, Google recommends retaining redirects for a minimum of one year to give its systems enough time to transfer signals and process old external links. Keeping useful redirects longer can also benefit visitors using old bookmarks or links.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should a deleted page be redirected to the homepage?

Usually not. A deleted page should be redirected when a closely relevant replacement exists; otherwise, allowing it to return an appropriate 404 or 410 response is often more useful than sending visitors to an unrelated homepage.

Can a 301 redirect be reversed?

Yes. A 301 redirect can technically be removed or reversed, but browsers and search engines may already have processed or cached the permanent move, so the change may not be reflected everywhere immediately.

What is the maximum safe length for a redirect chain?

Googlebot can follow up to 10 redirect hops, but that should not be treated as a target. Direct redirects are preferable, and unavoidable chains should ideally contain no more than three redirects.

How are redirects managed inside Shopify?

In Shopify Admin, redirects are managed through Content → Menus → URL Redirects. Individual redirects can be created and edited there, while existing redirects can also be imported or exported.

Do redirects pass backlink link equity?

Properly implemented permanent redirects allow Google to transfer ranking signals associated with the old URL to the new destination. Google says that PageRank is not lost when 301 and other permanent redirects are implemented correctly, so fixed percentages such as “95%” or “99%” should not be assigned to redirect equity.