What Is a 301 Redirect and When Should You Use One?

A 301 tells the browser that a page has moved.

A 301 is an HTTP response that says a URL has moved permanently. The server supplies a destination, and a browser normally follows it automatically. A visitor using an old bookmark or link can therefore reach the replacement without having to find it again.

For search engines, a permanent redirect is also a signal about the preferred URL. Google's redirect guidance explains the distinction. It is not a promise that positions, traffic or every signal will transfer unchanged or instantly.

Use it when there is a relevant permanent replacement.

• A changed address: a useful page gets a new slug or moves into a different section.
• A rebuild or domain move: the same service or resource has a new location.
• Consolidation: several genuinely overlapping pages are replaced by one page that covers their purpose.
• Equivalent URL versions: visitors should arrive at a consistent preferred version.

Map the old page to the destination that best continues its job. If an old boiler-repair page moves, send visitors to the new boiler-repair page, not a generic list of everything the company does.

A redesign alone does not require changing addresses. Keeping a suitable URL avoids unnecessary migration work. Make structural changes because they help the website, not because a shorter slug is assumed to produce a ranking improvement.

Choose the response that matches the move.

Use a permanent response when the move is intended to remain. HTTP 301 and 308 indicate permanent redirects; 302 and 307 indicate temporary ones. For ordinary page migrations, a host-level 301 is a common choice.

There are HTTP method-handling differences too: 307 and 308 preserve the request method, which matters for forms and APIs. Have the implementation checked if a redirect affects submissions rather than just normal page visits.

A temporary campaign destination and a permanent replacement are different situations. Do not choose the status code merely because a plugin makes one option easier. Configure redirects using the actual hosting, server or CMS mechanism and test the response it sends.

A missing page does not always need a redirect.

If content has been removed and there is no equivalent replacement, a genuine 404 or 410 response may be appropriate. Our guide to 404 errors explains how to separate a deliberate removal from an accidental breakage.

Redirecting every missing URL to the homepage can leave someone looking for a specific answer in the wrong place. Google also warns against sending many old URLs to an irrelevant destination during a move; these can be treated as soft 404s.

Do not redirect an unrelated page simply because it has links. First establish whether the destination meets the original visitor's need. The purpose is continuity, not disguising missing content.

Plan the map before changing the site.

Collect existing URLs from the site, sitemaps, analytics, Search Console and known external links where available. Include useful files and images if their addresses are changing. Record one intended outcome for each important address: keep, redirect to a relevant replacement, or remove.

1. Build and check the new destinations before cutover.
2. Configure each old address to point directly to its final destination.
3. Update internal links, canonical tags and sitemaps to the new URLs.
4. Test the deployed rules, including hostname and HTTPS behaviour.
5. Monitor old and new URLs after launch and repair missed cases.

Google's site-move guidance recommends keeping redirects for at least a year; retaining useful redirects longer also helps people following old links. Do not remove them as soon as the new page appears in search.

Test the response, not just the destination.

Opening the new URL proves only that the new page exists. Request the old URL and inspect the first response: it should return the intended redirect code and the exact destination in its Location header. Then follow it and verify the replacement loads, contains the expected content and is indexable where intended.

A chain sends the visitor through several redirects before the final page. A loop sends them back to an address already visited and prevents completion. Where possible, update old rules to point straight to the final destination and remove conflicting rules.

Check representative old links from outside the site as well as the navigation you control. Redirects should be part of a technical SEO audit, particularly after a rebuild. A successful migration needs correct destinations and consistent signals, not just a redirect plugin installed.