# 301, 302, 307, 308 — the difference and when to use each redirect

> HTTP redirects made clear: 301 vs 302 vs 307 vs 308, permanent vs temporary, request-method preservation, and the impact on SEO and AI crawlers. With tables, use cases and common mistakes.

_Source: https://seomatrix.ai/blog/301-302-307-308-redirects/ · Updated: 2026-06-28_

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A redirect is the server's way of saying "this page now lives at another address." There are several status codes, and the choice affects both SEO (signal transfer, indexing) and whether forms and APIs keep working. Let's break down the four that matter: **301, 302, 307, 308**.

> In short: there are two axes. **Permanent or temporary** (matters for SEO) and **whether the request method is preserved** POST/GET (matters for forms and APIs). 301/308 are permanent, 302/307 are temporary; 307/308 additionally preserve the method.

## The table: how they differ

| Code | Type | Request method | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| **301** Moved Permanently | Permanent | May change (POST→GET) | A page moved for good — the main SEO redirect |
| **302** Found | Temporary | May change (POST→GET) | Temporary: A/B test, promo, maintenance |
| **307** Temporary Redirect | Temporary | Preserved (POST stays POST) | Temporary move where the method/body must survive |
| **308** Permanent Redirect | Permanent | Preserved | Permanent move that keeps the method (e.g. APIs) |

## Permanent vs temporary (axis #1 — for SEO)

- **301 / 308 — permanent.** They tell search engines: "move the signals to the new URL." The old address drops out of the index over time and the new one replaces it. This is what you want for a page move, a URL change, or consolidating `http→https` / `www`.
- **302 / 307 — temporary.** The engine keeps the **original** URL indexed because you said "this is short-term." For a permanent move that's a mistake: signal consolidation is delayed and the old address lingers in the results.

> SEO rule: moving for good → **301**. A "temporary" redirect that lives for months confuses the engine and stalls signal transfer.

## Method preservation (axis #2 — for forms and APIs)

The older **301 and 302** historically let the client change the method: after the redirect a browser usually turns `POST` into `GET` (the request body is lost). For ordinary pages that's fine — they're opened with `GET`.

**307 and 308** are strict: the method and body are **preserved**. `POST` stays `POST`. That's critical when redirecting:

- a form submission (`POST`);
- an API endpoint that accepts `POST`/`PUT`;
- any request with a body that can't be dropped to `GET`.

## Which redirect for which job

From the most common to the more specific:

| Job | Code | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Page moved for good, URL changed | **301** | Permanent → consolidates signals onto the new address, the old one drops out |
| Domain change, `http→https`, `www` / duplicate consolidation | **301** | Same consolidation; collapse it into **one** hop to the final URL |
| Product removed / promo expired | **301** to a relevant category | Passes equity and avoids 404s — but **not** to the homepage (that's a "soft 404") |
| Maintenance, "back soon", seasonal page | **302** | Temporary → the engine keeps the original URL indexed |
| A/B test, temporarily serving content from another URL | **302** | You don't want the engine to replace the original with the test URL |
| Affiliate / outbound commercial link via a `/go/…` tracker | **302** (or 307) | The offer is temporary and rotates, the tracker shouldn't be indexed; see the callout below |
| Temporarily redirect a form submission (`POST`) | **307** | Preserves the method and body — `POST` stays `POST` |
| API endpoint moved for good | **308** | Permanent + method preservation (`POST`/`PUT` won't become `GET`) |

> **Affiliate links and the 302 myth.** Many route affiliate links through an internal redirect (`/go/partner`) on a 302 — which is fine, but **not** to "hide affiliation" or "avoid passing equity." The crawler follows the chain and records the **final** URL as a document property (the `urlAfterRedirectsFp` field from the Google Content Warehouse API leak), and link signals attach to the destination. Google still sees that the link points to an affiliate. The 302 is justified by something else: the offer is **temporary and rotates** (a 302 keeps the tracker a transient hop that isn't indexed or consolidated), plus a **single point of control** (swap the offer in one place) and click analytics. Real protection from a "thin affiliate" classification is `rel="sponsored"` on the link, original content (your own tests/photos/data) and a named author — not the redirect code.

> **Sometimes you don't want a redirect at all.** Duplicates with UTM tags and sort parameters are handled by `rel="canonical"`, not a redirect. A page that's permanently gone with no replacement is more honestly served as **410 Gone** (or 404) than redirected "somewhere."

## canonical or a redirect?

In short: a **redirect (301)** physically moves you to another URL — the old address is gone. `rel="canonical"` keeps every URL working but tells the engine which is the primary version. Duplicates with parameters (`?utm=`, sorting, print version) are a canonical job; an actual page move is a 301.

It's a subtle but important difference — we covered it separately: **[canonical vs redirect — which to choose and when](/blog/canonical-vs-redirect/)**.

## 302 vs 307 in practice

Both are temporary; the whole difference is the request method:

- **302** — the client may "replay" `POST` as `GET` (browsers historically do). For ordinary link navigation (`GET`) that's invisible and fine.
- **307** — strictly preserves the method and body: `POST` stays `POST`.

In practice:

- Temporarily redirecting an ordinary page or link → **302** (simpler and universally understood).
- Temporarily redirecting a `POST` (form submission, request with a body) → **307**, otherwise the data is lost when it switches to `GET`.
- Note: a browser-side **307** is generated internally by **HSTS** when forcing `http→https` — that's not your server redirect and needs no configuration.

For SEO the choice between 302 and 307 doesn't matter — both are temporary and the engine treats them the same. Only the request-method scenario does.

## Impact on AI search (GEO)

AI crawlers (GPTBot, PerplexityBot, ClaudeBot) **follow redirects too**. If a URL an AI cited answers with a broken or looping redirect, you lose the most valuable traffic there is: a visitor from an AI answer. And a "temporary" 302 on a permanent move confuses the engines — they keep holding the old address. For AI visibility the rule is the same — close permanent moves with **301/308** to a relevant page.

## Common mistakes

1. **302 instead of 301** on a permanent move — delays signal consolidation, the old URL lingers in the index.
2. **Redirect chains** (`A→B→C`) — each hop loses a little equity and slows crawling. Keep it to one hop.
3. **Mass-redirecting everything to the homepage** — Google treats that as a "soft 404," no equity passes. Redirect to a **relevant** page.
4. **Several hops for `http→https→www`** — collapse into one 301 to the final URL.
5. **Meta-refresh or a JS redirect** instead of a server-side 3xx — slower and a weaker signal. Redirect on the server.
6. **Not updating internal links** — even with a working redirect, link straight to the final URL instead of routing through a hop.

## How to check your redirects

1. Run the URL through the [redirect checker](/tools/redirect-check/) — see the whole chain and the final code.
2. Inspect the [response headers](/tools/response-headers/) — exactly which status the server returns.
3. Make sure permanent moves are **301/308**, there are no chains or loops, and the target is relevant.

> Want the technical side — redirects, consolidation, canonicals, indexing — run by an autonomous AI team from diagnosis to fixes? Take a look at the [homepage](/) or the [comparison](/compare/).

## Sources

- MDN Web Docs — HTTP redirections (301/302/303/307/308).
- Google Search Central — Redirects and Google Search (permanent vs temporary, signal transfer).
- RFC 7231 / RFC 7238 — 3xx semantics and the 308 code.
- Google Content Warehouse API leak (2024) — `urlAfterRedirectsFp`, `forwardingdup` fields (redirect-chain resolution and signal attribution to the final URL).

## FAQ

### What's the difference between 301 and 308?

Both are permanent and pass signals to the new URL. The difference is the request method: 301 allows POST to become GET, 308 preserves the method. Use 301 for normal pages, 308 for APIs that accept POST.

### 301 or 302 for SEO?

For a permanent move, always 301: it transfers ranking signals and replaces the old URL with the new one. 302 is for genuinely temporary situations (maintenance, a promo, an A/B test).

### Does 302 pass 'link equity'?

302 is meant to be temporary, so Google keeps the original URL indexed. A long-lived 302 may eventually be treated as permanent, but don't rely on that — use 301 for permanent moves.

### What is 307 and when do you need it?

307 is a temporary redirect that preserves the request method. You need it when temporarily redirecting a POST form or any request with a body that must not be turned into a GET.

### Which redirect for affiliate links?

Usually a 302 through an internal tracker (/go/…) — but not to 'hide' the link: Google still resolves the final URL. 302 is handy because the offer is temporary and rotates, and the tracker shouldn't be indexed. Protection from 'thin affiliate' is rel="sponsored" and content quality, not the redirect code.