Redirect

Written by Cobus van der Westhuizen, reviewed by Wynand van der Westhuizen, fact-checked by Lenata Oosthuizen. Last reviewed July 2026. Editorial policy.

What Is a Redirect?

A redirect is a server-side mechanism that sends a visitor or search engine crawler from the URL they requested to a different URL. When a browser or bot makes a request to a redirected URL, the server returns an HTTP status code that instructs the client to request a different location. The two redirect types most relevant to SEO are the 301 and the 302.

A 301 redirect signals a permanent move. It tells search engines that the original URL no longer exists and that all signals, including PageRank and link equity, should be transferred to the new destination. Google treats 301 redirects as definitive, eventually updating its index to reflect the new URL and consolidating the authority of the old URL into it.

A 302 redirect signals a temporary move. It tells search engines that the original URL should remain in the index and that the redirect is not permanent. Google will typically continue showing the old URL in search results. Using a 302 when you intend a permanent move is a common technical SEO mistake that results in the original URL retaining indexation while the new URL gains little authority benefit.

Other redirect types include 307 (temporary, HTTP/1.1 equivalent of 302), 308 (permanent, HTTP/1.1 equivalent of 301), and meta refresh redirects. Meta refresh redirects, which are executed in the HTML rather than the server headers, pass less PageRank and are generally not recommended for SEO purposes. Server-side 301 redirects are the gold standard for any permanent URL change.

Redirect implementation varies by platform. On WordPress sites in South Africa, plugins such as Yoast SEO or Redirection handle 301s through the admin interface. On Apache servers, redirects are set in the .htaccess file. On Nginx, they are defined in the server block configuration. On Cloudflare, page rules or redirect rules can be used without touching the origin server.

Redirects In Practice

A Pretoria law firm relaunches its website with a new URL structure. The old site used URLs like /services/employment-law.html, while the new site uses /practice-areas/employment-law/. The development team maps every old URL to its new equivalent and implements 301 redirects during the migration. Google Search Console is monitored post-launch for crawl errors, and any missed redirects that return 404 errors are added to the redirect map within the first two weeks.

A common mistake is creating a redirect chain. For example, the old URL redirects to an intermediate URL, which then redirects to the final destination. Each hop adds page load time and reduces the PageRank passed. Best practice is to update any redirect chains so that each old URL points directly to its final destination in a single hop. This is particularly important for pages with significant backlink profiles, where losing even a small fraction of link equity across many redirects adds up over time.

What a redirect is

A redirect is a way of automatically sending a visitor (and search engines) from one URL to another, so that when someone requests a particular URL, they are forwarded to a different one instead. Redirects are used whenever a page's address needs to change but you want requests to the old address to still reach the right content: for example, when a page is moved to a new URL, when a site is restructured or migrated, when URLs are changed or consolidated, or when an old page is replaced by a new one. Rather than the visitor hitting a dead end (a not-found error) at the old URL, a redirect forwards them to the appropriate destination. There are different types of redirect, the most important distinction being between a 301 (permanent) redirect, which signals that the move is permanent and that the old URL has permanently relocated to the new one, and a 302 (temporary) redirect, which signals a temporary move where the old URL is expected to return. This distinction matters greatly for SEO, because a 301 (permanent) redirect transfers the old page's ranking signals (link equity) to the new URL and prompts search engines to update their index to the new location, whereas a 302 (temporary) redirect signals that the move is temporary, so search engines generally keep the old URL indexed and do not transfer ranking signals. Understanding redirects matters because they are the essential tool for handling URL changes without losing traffic, links or ranking value: whenever URLs change, proper redirects preserve the user experience and SEO value, so knowing what redirects are, and using the right type correctly, is fundamental to managing a website's URLs and changes without breaking links or losing search performance.

Using redirects correctly

Using redirects correctly is essential to managing URL changes without harming SEO or user experience, and it comes down to using the right type in the right situation and avoiding common pitfalls. The core rule is to use a 301 (permanent) redirect for permanent moves, since this transfers the old page's ranking signals to the new URL and updates the index to the new location, preserving the SEO value and sending users to the right content, so whenever a page permanently moves, a URL permanently changes, a site is migrated, or pages are consolidated, a 301 redirect is the correct tool to preserve value and experience. A 302 (temporary) redirect should be used only for genuinely temporary situations where the old URL will return, and using a 302 by mistake for a permanent move is a common, harmful error, since it fails to transfer ranking signals. Beyond choosing the right type, good redirect practice avoids common problems: redirect chains (where a URL redirects through multiple hops to reach the destination) should be avoided or collapsed, since chains slow loading and can dilute value, so each old URL should redirect directly to the final destination in a single hop; broken redirects (pointing to non-existent pages) should be avoided; and it is best to update internal links to point directly to the final URLs rather than to old URLs that redirect, so users and crawlers avoid the redirect entirely. When removing or moving pages that have value (traffic, links, rankings), redirecting them (301) to a relevant replacement preserves that value, rather than leaving them as not-found errors, which loses it. On whether redirects hurt SEO: properly-implemented redirects do not harm SEO and are essential for preserving value through URL changes, a correct 301 redirect passes ranking signals to the new URL, so redirects are beneficial, not harmful, when done right; the harm comes from misuse, such as using 302s for permanent moves, redirect chains, broken redirects, or failing to redirect valuable removed pages, which is why correct implementation matters. For a South African business, using redirects correctly means using 301 (permanent) redirects for permanent URL changes and moves (to preserve ranking value and send users to the right content), reserving 302s for genuinely temporary cases, avoiding redirect chains and broken redirects, updating internal links to final URLs, and redirecting valuable removed or moved pages to relevant replacements. Handled this way, redirects are the essential, beneficial tool for managing URL changes without losing traffic, links or rankings, which is why understanding and correctly implementing redirects is a fundamental part of technical SEO and site management, especially during redesigns, migrations and URL changes.

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