301 Redirects Explained

A redirect sends visitors and search engines from one URL to another automatically. A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect: it says that a page has moved for good, and the new address should replace the old one. It is one of the most important tools for protecting your search visibility when anything changes.

Why redirects matter

If you change a page address or delete a page without a redirect, anyone following an old link, whether from a bookmark, another site, or a search result, lands on an error page. Search engines also lose the connection between the old address and its history. A proper redirect preserves the visitor's journey and passes the old page's signals to the new one.

Common redirect types

• 301 (permanent): the page has moved permanently. Use this for most migrations and URL changes.
• 302 (temporary): the move is temporary, for example during maintenance. Search engines may keep the original URL.
• 307 and 308: stricter versions of temporary and permanent redirects, mainly relevant to certain request types. 308 is the permanent equivalent.

When you intend a permanent change, use 301 (or 308).

When to use a 301

• You change a page's URL
• You merge two pages into one
• You delete a page that has a close replacement
• You switch from HTTP to HTTPS. See SSL and HTTPS
• You choose between "www" and non-"www" versions
• You change domain names
• You migrate or redesign your site

Best practices

Redirect to the most relevant page. Send an old product page to the new version of that product or the nearest category, not blindly to the homepage. Irrelevant redirects can be treated as soft errors.

Avoid redirect chains. A to B to C slows pages and wastes crawl effort. Point old URLs directly to the final destination.

Avoid loops. A redirecting to B and B back to A will break the page entirely.

Update internal links. Link directly to new URLs, so visitors and crawlers do not need to follow redirects. See internal linking.

Keep redirects in place. Maintain them for a long time, ideally indefinitely for important URLs.

Update your sitemap. It should list the new URLs only. See XML sitemaps.

When not to redirect

If a page is permanently gone and no relevant replacement exists, it is fine to let it return a proper 404 or 410 error with a helpful error page. See 404 page design.

How to set them up

• Website platforms and builders often have a redirect manager in settings.
• CMS plugins can create and manage redirects.
• Server configuration files, depending on your host, can define rules for patterns of URLs.
• Hosting dashboards sometimes offer a simple redirect tool.

Ask your host or developer if unsure, since errors can affect the whole site.

Test them

Check a sample of old URLs to confirm they reach the right destination with a 301 status. Crawlers and browser developer tools show status codes. Monitor Search Console for errors after changes.

The bottom line

Use 301 redirects whenever a URL changes permanently, point them to relevant pages, avoid chains, and keep them in place. They quietly protect your traffic.