What Is a Redirect? A Complete Guide to Redirects for SEO

When you restructure a website, rename pages, delete content, or migrate to a new domain, you're gambling with your traffic and search rankings unless you handle redirects properly.

Redirects are how you control where visitors and search engine crawlers go. Done right, they protect your SEO value and user experience. Done wrong, they waste crawl budget, confuse search engines, and slow down your site.

This guide covers what redirects are, why they matter, which types to use in different situations, implementation examples, and the specific practices that actually work.

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What Exactly Is a Redirect?

A redirect is an HTTP instruction that automatically sends a visitor (or crawler) from one URL to another. It happens at the server level before the page loads.

When someone requests:

https://example.com/old-page

A redirect instruction tells their browser:

Go to https://example.com/new-page instead

The user sees the new page. The crawler indexes the new page. No 404 error. No broken link in search results.

Real-world analogy: You move your office to a new building. Instead of leaving the old address empty, you put up a sign: "We've moved to this new address." Redirects do the same for URLs.

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Why Redirects Matter: SEO & User Experience

Redirects solve two critical problems simultaneously.

SEO Impact

Search engines treat redirects as instructions about your content structure. They directly affect:

• Link equity transfer: A proper 301 redirect passes ~100% of ranking authority from the old URL to the new one. Backlinks pointing to the old URL now benefit the new URL.
• Prevent authority loss: Without redirects, moving or deleting pages causes your rankings to drop. The authority built up through backlinks is wasted.
• Crawl budget efficiency: Bad redirects (chains, loops, irrelevant destinations) waste the limited resources Google allocates to crawl your site.
• Index management: Search engines stop trying to index dead URLs when you tell them where the content moved.

User Experience Impact

• No 404 errors: Users don't hit dead pages that frustrate them.
• Seamless transitions: They reach relevant content instead of dead ends.
• Page speed: Server-side redirects are instant; client-side redirects (JavaScript, meta refresh) are slow and visible to users.

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Redirect Types: Which One to Use When

The HTTP protocol defines different redirect types. Each sends a different signal about whether the change is permanent or temporary — and search engines respond accordingly.

301: Permanent Redirect

Use when: A page has moved permanently and the old URL should no longer exist.

HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently
Location: https://example.com/new-page

What happens:

• Browsers cache the redirect and stop requesting the old URL
• Search engines transfer ~100% of link equity to the new URL
• The old URL gradually disappears from search results
• Crawlers stop indexing the original page

When to use:

• Restructuring your site architecture (e.g., /blog/2020/article → /blog/articles/article)
• Renaming pages for clarity or SEO
• Consolidating duplicate pages into one authoritative version
• Migrating to a new domain

302: Temporary Redirect

Use when: A page is temporarily unavailable and you expect it to come back.

HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Location: https://example.com/temporary-location

What happens:

• Browsers do NOT cache the redirect — they keep checking the original URL
• Search engines do NOT transfer link equity to the temporary destination
• The old URL remains indexed in search results
• Crawlers continue trying to index the original page

The problem: Using 302 for permanent changes is a SEO disaster. You keep both URLs in the index, they compete with each other for crawl budget, and neither gets the full benefit of backlinks. This wastes crawl budget and dilutes your authority.

When to use:

• Page maintenance lasting a few hours
• A/B testing different URLs (temporary experiment)
• Server maintenance windows

When NOT to use: Never use 302 for permanent moves.

307 & 303: Edge Cases

• 307 (Temporary Redirect): Like 302 but preserves the HTTP method (POST stays POST). Most modern browsers treat it like 302.
• 303 (See Other): Forces GET request on redirect, even if original was POST. Rarely used for URL redirects.

Bottom line: Master 301 and 302. The others are edge cases.

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Server-Side vs Client-Side Redirects

Where the redirect happens determines how search engines see it and how fast users experience it.

Server-Side Redirects (Always Prefer This)

Happens at the web server level before the page loads.

Apache (.htaccess):

Redirect 301 /old-page /new-page
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^oldsite.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://newsite.com/$1 [L,R=301]

Nginx:

return 301 /new-page;
# Domain migration:
if ($host = oldsite.com) {
  return 301 https://newsite.com$request_uri;
}

Why it's best: Fastest execution, search engines recognize it immediately, clean SEO signal, zero performance impact on users.

Client-Side Redirects (Avoid These)

Happens in the browser after the page loads.

JavaScript:

window.location.href = 'https://example.com/new-page'

Meta refresh:

<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=https://example.com/new-page">

Why it's problematic:

• Slower — users see a blank page before redirecting
• Search engines handle it inconsistently
• Meta refresh with delay (>0 seconds) is treated as temporary, even if you meant permanent
• Instant meta refresh (0 seconds) is treated as permanent, but some crawlers struggle with it
• Both weaken SEO signals compared to server-side redirects — less link equity transfers

Only use client-side redirects when: You genuinely cannot access server configuration. Every other scenario has a better solution.

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Redirect Chains & Loops: Problems & Solutions

Redirect Chains: Wasted Resources

A redirect chain happens when URL A redirects to B, which redirects to C.

User requests: /old-page
       ↓
Server: Go to /newer-page (301)
       ↓
Server: Go to /newest-page (301)
       ↓
User finally gets: /newest-page

Problems:

• Each redirect = one extra HTTP request (slower for users)
• Wastes crawl budget on intermediate steps
• Slows down indexing of final content
• Some crawlers give up mid-chain
• Link equity slightly weakens with each hop

Fix: Always redirect directly to the final destination.

❌ Bad: A → B → C
✅ Good: A → C and B → C

Audit tools:

• Screaming Frog (crawls your site, shows chains)
• Google Search Console (Coverage report shows redirect issues)
• Command line: curl -I https://example.com/old-page -L (follows redirect chain)

Redirect Loops: Infinite Redirects

A redirect loop happens when URL A redirects to B, which redirects back to A.

/page-a ↔ /page-b (infinite)

What happens: Browser shows "Too many redirects" error, crawlers stop, site appears broken.

Common causes:

• Copy-paste mistakes in redirect rules
• Misconfigured server configuration
• Accidentally redirecting a page to itself
• Multiple redirect rules that conflict

Test before deploying:

curl -I https://example.com/page-a -L

If you get stuck in a loop, the output will show the same URLs repeating.

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Canonical Tags vs Redirects: Know the Difference

These are NOT the same tool. Using the wrong one wastes weeks and SEO value.

When to Use Each

Use 301 Redirect if:

• Page is gone for good
• You're restructuring your site
• You've merged two pages
• You want the old URL completely removed

Example: /blog/2020/article → /blog/articles/article

Use Canonical Tag if:

• Multiple URLs have the same content
• You want to keep all URLs accessible
• URL parameters create duplicates (filters, sorting, tracking)
• You're syndicating content

Example: /products/shoes and /products/shoes?color=red → both canonicalize to /products/shoes

Important: Never mix them. Don't create a redirect loop where Page A (with canonical tag → B) then redirects (301 → C). This confuses crawlers and wastes crawl budget.

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Implementation Examples

Apache (.htaccess)

# Enable rewrite engine
RewriteEngine On

# Simple redirect
Redirect 301 /old-page /new-page

# Redirect with RewriteRule (more flexible)
RewriteRule ^old-page$ new-page [R=301,L]

# Redirect entire domain
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^old-domain.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://new-domain.com/$1 [L,R=301]

# Redirect with URL parameters
RewriteRule ^old-page\.html$ new-page [R=301,L]

Nginx

# Simple redirect
location /old-page {
  return 301 /new-page;
}

# Redirect with regex pattern
location ~ ^/old-path/(.*)$ {
  return 301 /new-path/$1;
}

# Domain migration
if ($host = old-domain.com) {
  return 301 https://new-domain.com$request_uri;
}

# Temporary redirect
location /maintenance {
  return 302 /status-page;
}

WordPress & CMS Plugins

Most WordPress sites use plugins (no server config needed):

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Best Practices & Common Mistakes

✅ DO: Use 301 for Permanent Moves

Permanent changes demand permanent redirects. This transfers authority.

Redirect 301 /old-page /new-page

✅ DO: Redirect to the Most Relevant Page

Never redirect everything to the homepage. A user looking for a product shouldn't end up on your homepage.

❌ Bad:

/old-product-1 → / (homepage)
/old-product-2 → / (homepage)
/old-product-3 → / (homepage)

✅ Good:

/old-product-1 → /products/product-1
/old-product-2 → /products/product-2
/old-product-3 → /products/product-3

Relevance matters for both SEO and user experience.

✅ DO: Keep a Redirect Map

Document what you've redirected and why:

This prevents mistakes and helps with debugging.

✅ DO: Monitor Redirects in Google Search Console

Check regularly for issues:

• Coverage tab: Shows if Google detected redirect problems
• Performance tab: Shows if redirects hurt your rankings
• Links tab: Shows if backlinks followed through correctly

❌ DON'T: Use 302 for Permanent Moves

Using 302 for permanent changes means:

• Link equity doesn't transfer
• Old URL stays indexed
• You're competing with yourself
• Crawl budget is wasted

This is a beginner mistake that costs significant ranking power.

❌ DON'T: Create Redirect Loops or Self-Redirects

A URL should never redirect to itself:

<!-- ❌ This breaks everything -->
Redirect 301 /page /page

Double-check your rules before deploying.

❌ DON'T: Forget About Redirect Chains

After migrating domains or restructuring, audit for chains:

• Use Screaming Frog
• Check Google Search Console coverage
• Test with curl command

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FAQ: Redirects Answered

Q: Do redirects hurt my rankings?

No — if done correctly. A 301 redirect preserves authority. Problems arise when people use 302 for permanent moves, create chains, or redirect to irrelevant pages.

Q: How long does a 301 redirect take to work in Google?

Google can see it immediately, but authority transfer takes days to weeks. Monitor Search Console to track the transition.

Q: Can I use both canonical tags and redirects?

Not on the same page. Choose one tool. If you're redirecting a page, it doesn't need a canonical tag. If a page has a canonical tag, don't also redirect it.

Q: What if I redirect but the old URL still shows in Google?

Wait (up to 6 weeks) or request indexing of the new URL in Search Console. The old URL will gradually disappear.

Q: Do mobile and desktop redirects need to be different?

No. A single 301 redirect works for both. Google handles responsive sites properly.

Q: Should I redirect www to non-www?

Pick one and redirect the other. It doesn't matter which, but consistency does. Set your preference in Search Console.

Q: Can I redirect HTTP to HTTPS?

Always redirect HTTP → HTTPS, never the opposite. HTTPS is more secure and ranks better.

Q: What if my old domain has backlinks?

The 301 redirect transfers that authority to the new domain. That's the entire point of proper site migration.

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Summary: Redirects Are a Technical Foundation

Redirects aren't exciting. They're also not optional.

They're a fundamental part of maintaining a healthy website. Done right:

• Users always reach relevant content
• Search engines consolidate your authority
• Rankings stay stable through changes
• Crawl budget gets used efficiently

Done wrong:

• Organic traffic tanks silently
• Crawl budget gets wasted
• Users get frustrated
• Backlinks don't benefit your new URLs

The tool is simple. The impact is enormous.

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Based on HTTP protocol standards, Google Search Central documentation, and production website implementations.