Redirect

301 vs 302 redirects

301 (Permanent): Indicates the page has moved permanently. Search engines transfer most link equity to the new URL and update their index. Use 301s for deleted pages, URL structure changes, and site migrations.

302 (Temporary): Signals a temporary move. Search engines keep the original URL in their index, not transferring equity. Use 302s for A/B testing, seasonal promotions, or maintenance pages.

Most situations need 301s. When in doubt, use permanent redirects—they preserve SEO value and prevent broken links.

When redirects are essential

Deleting pages without redirects creates 404 errors for any internal or external links pointing to those URLs. This wastes link equity and frustrates visitors. Always redirect deleted pages to relevant alternatives.

URL structure changes during redesigns require comprehensive redirect mapping. Every old URL must redirect to its new location. Missing redirects invisibly destroy traffic—visitors land on 404s instead of your content.

Consolidating duplicate content uses redirects. If you have three similar pages competing for the same keyword, pick the best one and redirect the others to it. This concentrates authority on one strong page.

Redirect chains and performance

Redirect chains—A redirects to B, which redirects to C—waste crawl budget and slow load times. Each hop adds latency. Search engines may stop following chains after a few redirects, failing to reach the final destination.

When restructuring URLs, update redirects to point directly to final destinations. If page A now redirects to page B, and you later move page B to page C, update A's redirect to point straight to C.

Redirect implementation

Server-level redirects (via .htaccess, Nginx config, or Cloudflare Pages _redirects file) are fastest and most reliable. Meta refresh and JavaScript redirects work but aren't recommended—they're slower and may not pass link equity properly.

We plan redirect strategies for every site migration, mapping old to new URLs comprehensively. This preserves link equity, maintains traffic, and prevents broken links.