What Is a 302 Redirect?
A 302 redirect is an HTTP status code that instructs browsers and search engine crawlers to temporarily forward a request from one URL to another. The "302" refers to the HTTP response code "302 Found," which has been part of the web's technical standards since the early days of the internet.
When a server returns a 302 status code, it is telling the requester: "The resource you are looking for is currently available at a different address, but this arrangement is not permanent." As a result, search engines like Google generally keep the original URL in their index rather than replacing it with the destination URL. Link equity (the SEO value accumulated by the original page through backlinks and internal links) is not reliably transferred to the destination.
This behaviour contrasts with a 301 redirect, which signals a permanent move and does pass link equity. Understanding which redirect type to use is a key part of technical SEO. Using a 302 by mistake when you intend a permanent redirect can leave valuable ranking signals stranded on a URL that no longer serves content, rather than consolidating them on the new destination.
Valid use cases for a 302 include: redirecting users during a site maintenance window, A/B testing an alternate version of a page, temporarily pointing a URL at a promotional landing page for a limited-time campaign, and geographic redirects where the original URL remains the canonical destination.
302 Redirect In Practice
A South African e-commerce retailer running a Black Friday campaign might use a 302 redirect to temporarily send visitors from their standard product category page to a dedicated deals page for the duration of the promotion. Because the redirect is temporary, the original category page retains its ranking signals and the deal page does not displace it in Google's index once the campaign ends.
Similarly, a Pretoria-based service business testing two versions of their contact page might use 302 redirects to split traffic between the original and the variant, ensuring neither version is treated as the permanent canonical destination during the test period.
Where South African site owners commonly run into trouble is when a developer uses a 302 for what should be a permanent URL change, such as moving from HTTP to HTTPS, restructuring URL slugs, or consolidating two domains after a rebrand. In these cases, a 301 is the correct choice. If you are auditing your site and find 302 redirects on pages that have been redirecting for months or years, it is worth evaluating whether each one should be upgraded to a 301 to properly consolidate SEO value.
FAQ
Should I use a 302 or 301 redirect when moving a page permanently?
Use a 301 redirect for permanent moves. A 301 transfers link equity and signals to Google that the old URL is gone for good. A 302 tells Google the move is temporary, so the original URL stays indexed and link equity is not reliably passed.
Does a 302 redirect affect my SEO rankings in South Africa?
A 302 used incorrectly for a permanent move can dilute your SEO. Google may continue indexing the original URL rather than the destination. If you intend to keep the change permanently, switch to a 301 redirect to consolidate authority and rankings.