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301 vs 302 Redirects: Which to Use (and How to Check Yours)

Redirects send visitors and search engines from one URL to another. Using the wrong type, or chaining too many, quietly costs speed and rankings.

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The four status codes

301 Moved Permanently and 308 Permanent Redirect: the page has moved for good – search engines move rankings to the new URL. 302 Found and 307 Temporary Redirect: the move is temporary – search engines may keep the old URL indexed.

When to use each

Use 301 for site migrations, HTTP to HTTPS, www to non-www, and changed page addresses. Use 302 only for genuinely temporary moves like a short promotion or maintenance page.

Avoid chains and loops

http://example.com → https://example.com → https://www.example.com → /home/ is three hops. Each one adds delay. Point every redirect straight at the final URL.

Check any URL

The Redirect Checker follows each hop and shows status codes and timings, flagging long chains and temporary redirects that should be permanent.

Frequently asked questions

Do 301 redirects lose SEO value?

Google says no PageRank is lost with 301 or 302 today, but permanent redirects are clearer signals.

How long should I keep a redirect?

At least a year; indefinitely for important pages.

What's a redirect loop?

URLs that redirect to each other forever – browsers show 'too many redirects'.

↪️Free Redirect Checker
Trace every redirect hop with status codes and timing.Open tool →

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