Technical Seo
302 Redirect
A temporary server-side redirect that sends users and search engines to a different URL while signalling that the original URL should remain indexed.
Why 302 Redirect Matters for SEO
Using a 302 when you need a 301 tells Google to keep the old URL in the index, so your new page doesn't inherit the ranking signals. It's one of the most common technical SEO mistakes and often goes unnoticed for months.
How 302 Redirect Works
The server responds with a 302 status code and a temporary location. Search engines are supposed to keep the original URL indexed and not transfer link equity permanently. In practice, Google sometimes treats long-standing 302s as 301s, but you shouldn't rely on that.
Common Mistakes
- Using 302s for permanent URL changes during a migration
- Leaving temporary 302 redirects in place for months or years
- Not auditing your redirect rules to distinguish 301s from 302s
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