What Is a 301 or 302 Redirect?
Moving a web page to a new URL sounds simple, but it isn’t. Many web owners make the mistake of choosing the wrong type of web forwarding, which results in costly consequences. When moving a web page, the decision between 301 and 302 can greatly impact your website’s search results.
But what’s the difference between a 301 and 302 redirect?
This guide will explore the differences between 301 vs. 302 redirects and their impact, provide you with the tools you need to retain your site’s authority and build a smooth experience for your users.
It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.
What is web forwarding?
Web forwarding, also known as domain forwarding, is a tool that allows you to redirect one or more domain names to an operating website. Once you have successfully set it up, it automatically directs your audience to another location on the internet.
There are different types of web forwarding, two of which are 301 and 302 redirects. As a website owner, you need to understand their differences and uses to make sure that your site visitors are sent smoothly to your desired web destination.
Moreover, the right web forwarding is a crucial factor in maintaining a positive user experience. Redirecting your audience to the wrong page can damage your search engine optimization (SEO), user trust, and conversions.
What do the 301 and 302 numbers signify?
The numbers of these redirects refer to their HTTP status code, a three-digit response from a server to indicate the outcome of a client’s request. There are five classes of HTTP status codes within the official registry, and the first digit of each status code identifies its response class. When a code begins with the number three, it signifies that the code belongs to the redirect class.
Here’s a breakdown of common status codes by category:
1. Informational (100–199)
- 100 Continue. This signifies the initial part of a request has been received and the client can continue.
- 101 Switching Protocols. The server switches protocols as requested by the client.
2. Successful (200–299)
- 200 OK. The request has succeeded.
- 201 Created. This code means the request has succeeded and created a new resource.
- 204 No Content. The server successfully processed the request but is not returning any content.
3. Redirection (300–399)
- 301 Moved Permanently. The resource has been permanently moved to a new URL.
- 302 Found. The resource is temporarily redirected to a different URL.
- 304 Not Modified. The resource has not changed since the last request.
4. Client Error (400–499)
- 400 Bad Request. The server cannot process the request due to a client error.
- 401 Unauthorized. Authentication is required, and the client has not provided it.
- 403 Forbidden. The server understands the request but refuses to authorize it.
- 404 Not Found. The requested resource could not be found on the server.
5. Server Error (500–599)
- 500 Internal Server Error. The server encountered an unexpected condition that prevented it from fulfilling the request.
- 502 Bad Gateway. The server received an invalid response from the upstream server.
- 503 Service Unavailable. The server is currently unable to handle the request, often due to maintenance or overload.
Why does the status code matter?
The code is important because of your “link juice.” This term refers to the value or authority passed from one webpage to another through hyperlinks that you have built up for a specific URL. When you need to let search engine crawlers know that your site or page has moved, you must properly redirect them to the new page.
Therefore, the “status” of your redirect is significant, or else you’ll risk losing this “link juice” and start from scratch. You may also end up competing against your old page.
What is a 301 redirect?
A 301 redirect, also known as a “permanent redirect,” is a status code that tells search engines and users that the page has been permanently moved to a new domain and ensures they are sent to the correct redirected page.
Using this status code prevents duplicate content issues by signaling to search engines that the original page should no longer be indexed. This is crucial for maintaining your site’s ranking power, allowing you to retain visibility in search engine results for the same keywords it already ranked for.
When to consider a 301-redirect?
There are several instances where it’s a better option to use a 301 redirect. Since it’s a permanent redirect, you must carefully think about when to use it.
Consolidating outdated URLs
When you merge content, like combining two web pages or migrating an entire website, a 301 ensures that users and search engines are directed to your desired page. You can use the 301 redirect to guide all traffic from the old URL to the new one.
This prevents losing your site’s ranking power and makes sure that search engines can only see updated and relevant content.
Canonicalizing multiple URLs
If your site can be accessed by many URLs (for example, both through www.example.com or example.com), a 301 redirect can route all traffic to a single preferred or canonical URL. This prevents duplicate content issues, provides consistent user experience, and integrates your page authority on a single URL.
Moving to a new domain name
It feels like starting from scratch if you move your site to a new domain. Using a 301 redirect helps you make a smooth transition, redirecting users from your old domain to your new one.
It also ensures that your site visitors won’t be redirected to the wrong page and that search engines will pass your ranking power to the new domain, maintaining your SEO momentum.
Migrating from HTTP to HTTPS
Security is one of the top priorities when you have a website. Because of this, most websites are opting for HTTPs instead of HTTP for a safe connection. A 301 redirect signals to search engines that the previous, unsecured pages have been permanently transferred to safe counterparts.
This ensures that your visitors are always directed to the safe version of your website and that search engines index the appropriate URLs.
Changing the URL structure of your website
You can utilize 301 redirects to organize pages into subdirectories or categories. Using this will help you create a stronger site architecture. A website architecture refers to how site pages are organized. Having your web pages organized and tidy can help you improve your SEO rankings.
Deleting a page or moving its content to a new URL
Deleting a page could negatively impact your backlink profile and organic traffic flow. Using a 301 redirect is crucial when you’re cleaning your site by deleting outdated web pages or moving content to a new URL.
Redirecting traffic from an old marketing campaign
You may have created landing pages for a limited-time offer. It’s important that you redirect customers from these pages once the promotion period ends. A 301 redirect can help usher prospective customers to current product promotions.
What is a 302 redirect?
A 302 redirect, often known as a “temporary redirect,” notifies search engines and users that the current URL has been temporarily moved. This suggests that the original page is likely to resurface in the future.
For example, if you’re running a temporary promotion or testing a new site layout, you can use a 302 redirect to temporarily redirect users from the old page to the temporarily relocated page. This strategy lets search engines index the original page while redirecting readers to the new site.
When should you choose a 302 redirect?
Although a 302 redirect doesn’t distribute SEO, there are a few scenarios where it actually makes more sense to use one.
302 tells search engines that the website is just offline temporarily, and the value of the page should remain intact rather than be passed on to another URL.
Redirecting traffic to a limited-time promotion
Using a 302 redirect is the best option when advertising a limited-time promotion. It will effectively lead users toward this offering, and when the period ends, you can easily remove it from the promotion page.
In a similar way, you can use a 302 redirect when a product is not available. You can redirect customers to a similar product or to a page, telling them that the product they are looking for is currently unavailable.
Running an A/B test
An A/B test is when you create two versions of a website page to see which one performs better, depending on the metrics you’re aiming for, such as generating more email newsletter sign-ups or increasing product purchases.
A 302 redirect allows you to generate a variant (B) of your original page (A).
You can then experiment with other items on the new page to see whether they improve the metrics you’re tracking.
Temporarily moving content to a new URL
You can use a 302 redirect if you need to temporarily move content to a new URL for the following reasons:
- Broken web page. When your website page is broken and you want to resolve it without affecting your user experience, you can use 302 redirect instead of sending your site visitors to a 404-error page.
- Making major updates. You can opt to use a 302 redirect if you are having major updates on your website, but you don’t want to disrupt organic traffic or harm your search rankings.
- Check how your page will look. You’d want to preview how the page will look with the improvements in place. You can make these modifications to the original page while redirecting visitors to the temporary one.
Does the 301 vs. 302 redirect affect search engine rankings?
In SEO, the distinction between permanent and temporary modification is important. If you’ve completely migrated a page to a new URL, a 301 redirect is the ideal option because it preserves the page’s ranking power.
However, if the transfer is merely temporary, a 302 redirect is perfect because it maintains the original page’s position while you run tests or promotions.
Using the appropriate redirect guarantees that your SEO strategy remains consistent and that your users can easily access the correct page. Choosing which redirection you will use can effectively help you avoid difficulties such as ranking loss, duplicate content, and decreased visibility.
4 ways to implement a 301 vs 302
When it comes to redirects, there are several methods to manage URL forwarding, depending on your setup and goals. Both methods utilize a 301 (permanent) or a 302 (temporary) redirect that ensures users and search engine spiders reach the correct location. Here are some common approaches:
Using the .htaccess file
If your site is hosted on an Apache server, you can implement redirects through the .htaccess file. An Apache server is a free and open-source hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) cross-platform web server that is commonly used on Linux and Microsoft Windows platforms.
Implementing redirects through .htaccess file gives you precise control at the server level, allowing you to ensure a smooth experience for your users while directing search engine spiders on the right page.
Free WordPress plugin
A free WordPress plugin offers customers a simple, code-free solution for managing URL forwarding. Several plugins have been made to make it easier for you to install 302 and 301 redirects easily.
This solution is excellent for individuals who like to control redirection straight from their WordPress dashboard without requiring access to files or server settings.
CMS tools
Redirect management solutions are integrated into many content management systems (CMS). These tools make it easy to establish and maintain redirects without requiring you to manually alter files or utilize additional plugins, whether using WordPress, Joomla, or another CMS.
DNS zone redirects
Forwarding can also be implemented at the DNS level. Redirects can be set up using your DNS zone and are useful for forwarding traffic between domains or for relocating domains. Although it guarantees that all traffic to the original domain is correctly redirected, this method might not be as flexible compared to other alternatives.
How Domain.com makes redirects easy
At Domain.com, we’re aware that configuring redirects can be difficult. For this reason, we provide a straightforward yet effective web forwarding solution that makes it easy to set up 302 and 301 redirects.
Web hosting services
Our reliable hosting services give you the flexibility and tools to smoothly implement 301 or 302 redirects. Here’s how:
- Control Panel Access. Our user-friendly control panel helps you quickly implement redirects even if you do not have advanced technical skills.
- Custom redirects. Our hosting platform ensures that the custom redirects you have made based on your needs are implemented smoothly without any downtime.
- Efficient performance. Redirects set up through Domain.com’s hosting are optimized for speed and reliability. Because of this, your users won’t experience any delays in crossing your old and new URLs.
Domain transfer
Additionally, our domain transfer services also provide powerful tools to make redirecting simple and quick as possible:
- Web forwarding. Domain.com’s web forwarding or URL forwarding helps you easily set up 301 or 302 redirects straight from your domain management dashboard.
- Domain migration. Should you move to a new domain, our domain migration services secure a seamless transition with 301 redirects which preserves your SEO value and ranking power.
- URL redirects made simple. Whether you handle a permanent change like an HTTP to HTTPs migration or setting up temporary redirects for seasonal promotions, our domain services let you easily manage these transitions.
Security features
But our services do not stop there. We also offer security features to help you secure a web forwarding procedure without worrying about anything:
- Secure domain transfer. We offer a smooth and secure domain transfer process if you want to transfer your domain. Security is our top priority at every step, and we want to safeguard your brand, including your domain assets.
- Domain Privacy + Protection. Safeguard your personal details from being exposed publicly. Our services include Domain Privacy + Protection, which secures you from potential stalkers, identity theft, and unauthorized access to your website and domain.
- Domain Expiration Protection. Keep your investment and your domain with Domain Expiration Protection. This service ensures that your domain registration is extended for one year after it expires, giving you time to pay for your registration.
Use a redirect to send your customers to the right place
When implementing redirects, you only need to remember that 301 means permanent redirection, and 302 is only for temporary redirects. Choosing the right redirection can greatly impact your site, which means you need to select which one you need to implement the most.
Need to send visitors to a temporary or a new page? Manage your site transitions seamlessly with Domain.com today!
It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.