What Is a 301 Redirect? (And When to Use One)

A 301 redirect is an instruction to browsers and search engines that says "this page has permanently moved to a new address". When a user or a search engine crawler visits the old URL, they are automatically sent to the new one. The "301" is the HTTP status code for a permanent redirect.

Redirects are a routine part of website management. Understanding when and how to use them correctly prevents SEO damage that can take months to recover from.

What a 301 redirect does technically

When a browser requests a URL that has a 301 redirect configured, the server responds with the 301 status code and the new URL. The browser automatically requests the new URL. Search engines follow the same process — Googlebot visits the old URL, receives the 301, follows it to the new URL, and transfers the link equity (often called "link juice") and ranking signals from the old page to the new one.

This transfer of ranking signals is what makes 301 redirects so important for SEO. If you delete a page that had accumulated backlinks and organic rankings, those signals disappear. If you replace it with a 301 redirect to the most relevant current page, the signals transfer — preserving rankings rather than losing them.

When you need 301 redirects

Common situations requiring 301 redirects: a website migration to a new domain; restructuring URL patterns (moving from "/web-design/" to "/services/web-design/"); deleting a page that previously existed and may have backlinks or traffic; combining two similar pages into one; and moving from HTTP to HTTPS (though most web hosts handle this automatically).

The most consequential use of redirects is during a full website migration. Every page on the old site that had any organic traffic or backlinks should redirect to its closest equivalent on the new site. Missing redirects during a migration are one of the most common causes of dramatic traffic losses following a site rebuild.

301 versus 302 redirects

A 302 redirect signals a temporary move. Search engines do not transfer ranking signals for 302 redirects in the same way as 301s — they keep the original page indexed and do not fully consolidate signals to the destination. Use 302 redirects when a page is genuinely temporarily unavailable (a campaign page before it launches, for example) and you intend to restore it.

For everything else — deleted pages, URL restructures, domain migrations — use 301 redirects. A common mistake is developers using 302 redirects during a site rebuild when 301s are required. Checking redirect types after a site launch is a straightforward part of a proper post-launch SEO check.