The Difference Between A 301 And 302 Redirect And When To Use Them: Explained

If you browse the internet a lot you must have come across 301 and 302 redirects, and you may probably think that they mean the same thing. To be fair, both share some similarities but with some differences. While 301 redirect means that a page has moved to a new platform permanently, 302 redirect signifies that the transfer is only temporary.
We review 301 and 302 redirects and the conditions necessary for using them.

What Is 301 Redirect?

301 redirect is a code that notifies internet search engines and visitors that the page has moved to a new location permanently. This notification is important as it lets the user know they are browsing the correct page, not a different one. This code is typically used for URL pages when they show up in search results. It can also be seen as a change of web address as one would move houses and have a new contact address.

The good news is that you will not lose the page or the data, and visitors can still access it as before. Secondly, the change will not affect search results or existing links.

What Is 302 Redirect?

Unlike 301, which is a permanent URL relocation, 302 is only temporary. If you visit a page and you see the 302 relocation code pop up, this is an indication that the move is only a temporary one. It notifies search engines and visitors that the move from HTTP 1.1 to HTTP 1.0 is only temporary.

302 redirects are much easier using simple meta tags or JavaScript codes unlike the use of webmaster to access files with 301 redirects. Developers who use 301 when they should have used 302 or vice versa create issues for themselves further down the line. One of the consequences of this is that search engines will list only one version of the page on search results which may be incomplete.

The more often this occurs, the bigger the problem, as a chain of redirects will continue to build on the old site each time a visitor logs on.

What Do The Codes Signify?

The numbers 301 and 30e mean the HTTP status code. These codes have five classes in the official registry. The first digit, which is number 3, is the actual redirect code. This code is important because it lets search engine web crawlers know that the page has only changed location, but the content remains the same. By activating this code, anytime a visitor searches for it, the web crawlers will transfer them from the old site to the new one so they can view the page.

Without this code, the status of your page is suspect, and visitors may no longer be able to find it since it is no longer where it used to be. Another danger of not using redirect is that the old page may continue to compete with the new one if you have not taken the old one down, which will affect traffic to the new page.

When To Use 301 Redirect?

You should use 301 redirects when outdated URLs need to be sent to a new page or if you are merging two websites. You may also use 301 redirects if you have several URLs on different platforms but will prefer a single website destination. Using 301 will redirect traffic to your single page.

Another factor to consider is when you want to change your website domain permanently and stop using the old one instead of the new one. With the 301 redirects, the transition to the new website will be smoother and as seamless as possible. Lastly, if you wish to convert your “HTTP” website to “HTTPS,” the 301 redirects will come in handy.

When To Use 302 Redirect?

There are cases when the use of 301 redirects will be overkill. In such instances, a 302 redirect will suffice. Assuming you run a web store and no longer have a particular product for sale on your site, you can use 302 redirect to direct users to a different store temporarily until you can stock up. 302 basically tells search engines that the site is offline temporarily and will be back on soon so they don’t red-list it.

Another reason to use 302 is to prevent Google’s aging delay. 301 redirects take a longer time than 302, and if the user doesn’t have strong internet broadband, they may log out of the site if the redirect takes more time. So to avoid losing traffic unnecessarily, it’s best to use 302 redirects as a temporary stop-gap measure.

Now that you know the difference between 301 and 301 redirect, always consider your end goal before activating either of them. Avoid using 301 for temporary moves or 302 for permanent moves.