301 Redirect

301 Redirect is an HTTP status code that tells browsers and search engines a URL has moved permanently to a new address.

When a server returns a 301, it instructs the client to stop requesting the old URL and use the target location instead. Browsers update bookmarks where they can, and search engines drop the old URL from their index over time in favour of the destination. The redirect is server-side, so the user lands on the new page without any extra click.

For SEO the 301 is the standard tool for preserving ranking signals during a URL change. Because it signals permanence, search engines pass the relevant link equity and relevance signals to the target, consolidate the two URLs, and treat the destination as the canonical version. Use it when you change a slug, migrate to HTTPS, merge duplicate pages, or move a whole site to a new domain.

Contrast it with a 302 redirect, which signals a temporary move and tells search engines to keep the original URL indexed. Sending a 302 when you mean a permanent move can leave the old URL ranking and slow the transfer of signals to the new page. Avoid chains where one 301 points to another that points to a third, since each hop wastes crawl effort and can dilute signals; point every old URL straight at the final destination.

HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently
Location: https://example.com/new-page/

Related: 302 Redirect, HTTP Status Codes Reference, Redirect Checks