What is 301 Redirect?

When a URL changes, because a page was moved, a site was redesigned, or a domain was changed, any existing backlinks, bookmarks, and indexed search result listings still point to the old URL. A 301 redirect automatically sends anyone (or any search engine) who visits the old URL to the new one.

The "301" refers to the HTTP status code returned by the server: 301 Moved Permanently. This signals to search engines that the move is permanent, not temporary (302), and instructs them to transfer their authority signals from the old URL to the new one.

Without proper 301 redirects during a website migration or redesign, all the SEO value built up over years, the indexed pages, the backlinks, the ranking history, is effectively abandoned at the old URLs. Visitors who find the old URLs (through bookmarks, links, or cached search results) encounter 404 errors. This is a common cause of dramatic ranking drops after a site redesign.

Beyond migrations, 301 redirects are used for: consolidating duplicate content versions (redirecting the HTTP version to HTTPS, or www to non-www), cleaning up outdated pages whose content has been merged into another page, and fixing broken links.

A 302 redirect (Moved Temporarily) should be used when a page's location is genuinely temporary, like during A/B testing or seasonal promotions. Using a 302 when you mean a 301 leaves the SEO value at the original URL, which is usually not the intent.

Redirect chains, where URL A redirects to URL B, which redirects to URL C, should be avoided. Each hop loses some link equity and slows page load time for visitors. They should be collapsed to direct redirects (A → C) wherever possible.

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