All Comparisons
Winner: Context Dependent

301 vs 302 vs 307 Redirects

A technical SEO guide to HTTP redirect status codes. When to use permanent vs temporary redirects for SEO preservation.

301
302/307
Meaning
Moved Permanently
Found / Temporary Redirect
SEO Link Equity Passing
Yes (~100%)
No (initially), eventually treats as 301 if left long enough
Browser Caching
Yes (cached aggressively)
No (unless specified)
HTTP Method Retention (POST to POST)
No (Often changes POST to GET)
Yes (Strictly maintains HTTP method)

When to use which?

Changing Domain or URL Structure

"Moving a website to a new domain or updating slug structures for SEO."

RecommendationUse 301 Redirects. This tells search engines the old URL is dead and they should transfer all ranking signals to the new URL.

A/B Testing or Maintenance

"Temporarily sending users to a different page while fixing the main page."

RecommendationUse 302 Redirects. This tells search engines to keep the old URL indexed because it will return.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q.What is the difference between 302 and 307?

A.

Historically, browsers incorrectly changed POST requests to GET requests when following a 302 redirect. The 307 status code was created to strictly enforce that the HTTP method (e.g., POST) and body remain exactly the same when redirecting.

Q.Do 302 redirects harm SEO?

A.

They do not "harm" SEO, but they do not immediately pass link equity. If you leave a 302 redirect in place for a long time (e.g., several months), Google will eventually start treating it like a 301.