# 301 vs 302 redirects: what's the difference?

**Concept**

**TL;DR:** A 301 is a permanent redirect — it tells search and AI engines the page moved for good and passes its ranking value to the new URL. A 302 is temporary — the original is coming back, so engines keep it indexed. Use 301 unless the move is genuinely temporary.

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## What it is

A redirect sends anyone who visits an old URL — a person or a crawler — to a different one. The redirect's *status code* tells them why: `301` means "moved permanently," `302` means "moved temporarily."

Think of mail forwarding. A **301** is a permanent change of address: the post office updates its records and everyone learns the new one. A **302** is a "I'm away for a month" hold: keep my old address on file, I'll be back.

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## Why it matters

- **SEO value follows a 301.** A permanent redirect consolidates the old page's link equity and rankings onto the new URL. Use a 302 for a permanent move and that value can be left stranded on a URL you've abandoned.
- **Indexing stays correct.** Engines drop the old URL and index the new one after a 301; after a 302 they keep the original — which is what you want *only* if it really is coming back.
- **AI follows redirects too.** Answer engines and AI crawlers follow the same codes — the right one keeps your authority and citations pointed at the live page.

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## When to use each

- **301 (permanent):** a page moved for good, you merged or retired a page, or you're fixing a broken URL to its new home.
- **302 (temporary):** an A/B test, a short promo, or maintenance where the original URL will return.

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## Where you set them up

Redirects belong with whoever serves your pages, and every major platform already handles them: Shopify has URL redirects under Navigation, Wix has URL redirect manager, WordPress has a redirect plugin or your server config, and Cloudflare has Bulk Redirects and Redirect Rules. MetaPilot deliberately does not add a competing layer.

What MetaPilot does care about is the *result*: when one of your pages redirects, we follow it and publish the metadata on the address that actually serves, so nothing lands on a URL you retired.

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## FAQ

**Which should I use by default?**
301. Most redirects are permanent, and 301 is what passes SEO value — reach for 302 only when the original URL is genuinely coming back.

**Do redirects hurt SEO?**
A clean 301 preserves value. What hurts is redirect *chains* (A→B→C) and *loops* — keep them direct.

**How is a redirect different from a 404?**
A 404 says "this page doesn't exist"; a redirect says "it's over here now" and sends the visitor onward.

**What about 307 and 308?**
They're stricter modern equivalents (308 permanent, 307 temporary) that also preserve the request method. For everyday page moves, 301 and 302 are what you'll use.