301 vs 302 Redirects: When to Use Each (and Why It Matters)

A redirect points one URL to another, but the type of redirect tells search engines how to treat the move. Getting 301 vs 302 wrong is one of the most common — and most damaging — technical SEO mistakes.

The difference

• 301 (Permanent): "This page has moved for good." Search engines transfer ranking signals to the new URL and update the index to it.
• 302 (Temporary): "This is a temporary detour." Search engines keep the original URL indexed and do not fully pass signals to the destination.

When to use each

1. Use a 301 for permanent moves: changed URLs, site migrations, consolidating duplicates, http→https, www normalization, retiring a page in favor of another.
2. Use a 302 only for genuinely temporary situations: a page down for maintenance, A/B tests, short-term promotions, geo/device redirects you intend to keep changing.

The costly mistake

Using a 302 for a permanent move. The old URL stays indexed, signals do not consolidate, and the new page struggles to rank. If a move is permanent, it should be a 301 — full stop. Conversely, 301'ing something temporary bakes in a change you meant to reverse.

How to get it right

1. Decide: is this move permanent? If yes, 301.
2. Redirect to the most relevant equivalent page, not just the homepage.
3. Avoid redirect chains — point straight to the final URL.
4. Update internal links to the destination so you are not relying on the redirect.