SEO

What Is a 302 Redirect?

A 302 redirect is an HTTP status code, 302 Found, that tells browsers and search engines a page has moved temporarily to another URL, so visitors are sent to the new address while Google usually keeps the original URL in its results.

What a 302 redirect means in plain English

When a browser requests the original address, the server replies with status 302 and a Location header naming the temporary address, and the browser follows it automatically. The message to search engines is: this is a short detour, keep the old address on file. Status 307 means the same thing but guarantees that a form submission is sent on unchanged, whereas browsers may turn a submitted form into a plain page request after a 302.

A search result still listing example.com/spring-special while a visitor who clicks it is sent by a 302 to the maintenance plans page, with the address bar showing the temporary destination. — With a 302, the search result keeps the original address while visitors are sent somewhere else for now, which is exactly what a temporary move should do.

How Google treats a 302 redirect

Google's redirect documentation says Googlebot follows a 302, but its indexing systems treat the redirect as only a weak signal that the target should become the canonical URL. In practice the original page usually stays in search results. If other signals strongly point to the target, Google may still index the target instead, which is why a temporary redirect should not be left in place indefinitely.

When to use a 302 redirect

Sending visitors to a holding page while a product or service is briefly unavailable.
Pointing a seasonal offer URL at a general page during the months the offer is not running.
Running an A/B test that splits visitors between two URLs, which Google's testing guidance says should use a 302 rather than a 301.
Showing a short-term campaign page in place of a normal page for a fixed period.

An example of a 302 redirect

An HVAC company runs a spring tune-up offer at /spring-special. Over the summer, the team adds a 302 from that URL to its general maintenance plans page, because the offer returns every March. The /spring-special address keeps its place in Google and the links pointing to it. In February the redirect comes off and the updated offer goes live at the same address.

Common 302 redirect mistakes

Using a 302 for a permanent move, such as a redesign, a switch to HTTPS or a new domain, where Google recommends permanent 301 or 308 redirects.
Leaving a temporary redirect in place for years after everyone has forgotten why it was added.
Chaining a 302 into further redirects, which slows visitors and makes crawling less efficient.
Never checking which status code a plugin or host actually sends, since some redirect tools default to 302.

301, 302, 307 or 308: which redirect to use

Status code	Permanent or temporary	Can a form POST become a GET?	How Google treats it	Use it for
301 Moved Permanently	Permanent	Yes, browsers may change it	Strong signal: the target becomes the indexed URL	Redesigns, merged pages, new domains
308 Permanent Redirect	Permanent	No, the method is kept	Same as 301	Permanent moves of URLs that receive form posts or API calls
302 Found	Temporary	Yes, browsers may change it	Weak signal: the original URL usually stays in results	Seasonal offers, short outages, A/B tests
307 Temporary Redirect	Temporary	No, the method is kept	Same as 302	Temporary moves where a form submission must arrive unchanged

How to find every 302 redirect on your site

Download the free Screaming Frog SEO Spider, which crawls up to 500 URLs without a license, type your homepage into the box at the top and click Start.
When the crawl finishes, open the Response Codes tab and choose the Redirection (3xx) filter.
Sort by the Status Code column and list every 302 and 307 along with where it points.
For each one, ask whether the original page is really coming back. If not, change it to a 301 in your redirect plugin or server settings.
Open your redirect plugin or hosting panel and check the default redirect type, so new redirects are not created as 302 by mistake.

What good looks like: Every 302 or 307 on the list has a reason and an end date, such as a seasonal offer, and every permanent move uses a 301 or 308.

Free tool: Screaming Frog SEO Spider (free up to 500 URLs)

Questions to ask your web developer

“Which redirect type does our CMS or redirect plugin create by default?”

A good answer: The developer knows the default, has set it to 301 for normal page moves, and creates a 302 only on purpose for a known temporary detour.

“How will we know when a temporary redirect should come off?”

A good answer: Each temporary redirect is logged with its reason and an end date, and the list is reviewed at least every quarter.

302 redirect: common questions

Does a 302 redirect pass link equity?

Google treats a 302 as a weak canonical signal, so the original URL normally keeps its place in search along with the signals attached to it. That is the purpose of a temporary redirect. If you want a new URL to take over for good, use a 301 or 308 redirect instead.

How do I check if a redirect is a 301 or a 302?

Open Chrome DevTools, select the Network panel, load the old URL and read the status column for the first request. The URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console and online HTTP header checkers also show the exact status code the server sends back.

When should I change a 302 to a 301?

As soon as you know the move is permanent. If the original page is never coming back, a 302 leaves Google unsure which URL to show. Switching to a 301 makes the new address the clear replacement, which matters most during redesigns, page merges and domain changes.

Sources

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