302 Redirect

MDN’s 302 reference documents the temporary redirect and its request-method behavior. A 307 is the temporary alternative when the original request method must be preserved.

What Is a 302 Redirect?

A 302 redirect is an HTTP response status code indicating that a requested resource has been moved temporarily to the URL specified in the Location header. The HTTP/1.1 specification defines it as 302 Found, while earlier versions of HTTP labeled it Moved Temporarily.

When a browser or search engine crawler requests a URL that returns a 302 status code, the server responds:

HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Location: https://example.com/temporary-page

This is fundamentally different from a 301 redirect, which signals that content has been permanently moved and instructs search engines to transfer link equity to the new destination. Confusing the two remains one of the most common technical SEO mistakes, and it can take months to recover from the consequences.

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How Do 302 Redirects Work?

Understanding the technical flow behind a 302 redirect helps explain why the redirect type matters for both user experience and search engine behavior.

Step 1: The request. A user clicks a link or types a URL — say, https://example.com/summer-sale. Their browser sends an HTTP GET request to the server.

Step 2: The server response. Instead of returning the requested page with a 200 OK status, the server responds with 302 Found and includes a Location header pointing to https://example.com/special-offer. The server is effectively saying: “That page is somewhere else for now.”

Step 3: The browser follows. The browser automatically issues a second request to the destination URL. The user sees the content from the new URL, often without noticing the redirect occurred.

301 vs. 302 vs. 307 vs. 308: Redirect Types Compared

Choosing the wrong redirect type is a mistake that can cost rankings, traffic, and revenue. The table below summarizes the four most commonly confused redirect status codes and when each one applies.

Similarly, using a 301 for a temporary change is equally dangerous. Once Google processes a 301, it may remove the old URL from its index entirely. When the temporary change ends and you remove the redirect, the original URL has lost its rankings — and rebuilding them can take months.

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When to Use a 302 Redirect

A 302 redirect is the correct choice when the change is genuinely temporary and the original URL is expected to return. Here are the practical scenarios where 302s shine.

1. A/B Testing Landing Pages

When running A/B tests, you may want to send a portion of users to an alternative version of a page while keeping the original URL active and indexed. A 302 redirect routes test traffic to the variant without signaling to Google that the original page has been permanently replaced. Once the test concludes, you simply remove the redirect.

3. Website Maintenance or Under-Construction Pages

When a page needs to be taken offline temporarily — for updates, redesign, or backend maintenance — a 302 redirect sends users to a maintenance notice while preserving the original URL’s indexing. This is far preferable to returning a 503 (Service Unavailable) status, which can cause search engines to de-index the page if it persists.

4. Out-of-Stock Products (Temporary)

If a product is temporarily unavailable but will be restocked, a 302 redirect from the product page to a related category or waitlist page keeps the original URL alive in search results. For affiliate marketers, this is especially relevant: removing a product page entirely can break affiliate links and tracking codes, cutting off publisher commissions even after the product returns.

When NOT to Use a 302 Redirect

Just as important as knowing when to use a 302 is knowing when to avoid it. Misapplied temporary redirects cause real SEO damage.

Permanent URL Changes

If you have permanently moved content — a rebrand, a domain migration, or a site restructuring — use a 301 redirect, not a 302. A 302 tells Google to keep the old URL indexed, which means your new URL may never rank.

Consolidating Duplicate Pages

When merging two blog posts into one definitive guide, a 301 redirect is the only correct choice. A 302 would leave the old URLs in Google’s index competing with the new merged page.

HTTP to HTTPS Migration

Moving a site from HTTP to HTTPS is a permanent change. Use 301 redirects. Using 302s for an HTTPS migration is a well-documented mistake: the old HTTP URLs remain indexed, splitting traffic and link equity between two versions of the same page.

Long-Running Redirects

Google has stated that it may eventually treat a long-standing 302 as a 301. If a 302 redirect has been in place for more than six months, Google may begin passing link equity to the destination anyway. At that point, you have effectively lost control of the signal. If you need a redirect to remain active indefinitely, use a 301 from the start.

A practical rule: if you cannot name the date when you will remove the redirect, use a 301.

How does Google handle 302 redirects?

A temporary redirect normally leaves the source URL as the intended search-result URL. Other canonicalization signals can still affect which URL Google indexes. A permanent redirect is a stronger signal that the destination should become canonical. Neither status code guarantees an unchanged ranking.

For affiliate tracking, test that the click is recorded, required identifiers reach the destination and a subsequent conversion receives the intended attribution. A redirect alone does not guarantee a commission.

SEO Impact of 302 Redirects

The SEO implications of 302 redirects break down into what they do and what they do not do.

What 302 Redirects Do NOT Do

• Do not pass link equity to the destination URL. The original page keeps its backlink value.
• Do not remove the original URL from Google’s index. The old URL remains searchable and rankable.
• Do not signal a permanent change. Google continues to associate rankings and authority with the original URL.

What 302 Redirects CAN Do (When Misused)

• Split ranking signals if left in place for too long, as Google may begin treating the 302 as ambiguous.
• Cause indexing confusion if multiple redirects chain together. Each hop adds latency and risks the “too many redirects” error.
• Dilute crawl budget on large sites. Every redirect chain consumes crawl resources that could be spent on new or updated content.

Positive SEO Use Cases

When used correctly, 302 redirects protect your SEO by preventing permanent changes from being recorded for temporary conditions. A seasonal product page that uses a 302 during the off-season keeps its rankings ready for when the product returns. A page undergoing A/B testing retains its authority while the test variant collects data.

302 Redirects in Affiliate Marketing

For affiliate program managers, advertisers, and publishers, 302 redirects are not just a technical SEO concern — they are a practical tool embedded in everyday workflows.

Temporary Offer Pages

Advertisers frequently run limited-time promotions that require redirecting traffic from standard product pages to promotional landing pages. A 302 redirect lets the program manager:

1. Route publisher traffic to a time-sensitive offer without altering the permanent product page URL.
2. Maintain the original page’s SEO value for when the promotion ends.
3. Preserve all existing affiliate links — publishers do not need to update their content.

Example workflow: An advertiser is running a Black Friday promotion from November 20–30. The standard product page at /widget gets a 302 redirect to /black-friday-widget-deal. Publishers’ existing affiliate links continue working. When the promotion ends, the 302 is removed, traffic returns to /widget, and no publisher links are broken.

A/B Testing Affiliate Landing Pages

Affiliate managers testing conversion rates on different landing pages can use 302 redirects to split traffic between variants. The original affiliate tracking URL remains the canonical address, and the temporary test destinations receive traffic without permanently altering the indexed page. Once the test identifies the winner, the manager can implement the preferred page as the permanent destination and update the tracking configuration.

GEO and Device-Based Redirection

Some affiliate programs use 302 redirects to send users to region-specific or device-specific landing pages. A click from a mobile user in Germany might be temporarily redirected to a German-language mobile landing page, while desktop users in the US go to the standard page. Because these rules change based on campaign objectives, a 302 redirect is the appropriate signal.

Apache (.htaccess)

For sites running on Apache servers, add the following line to your .htaccess file:

Redirect 302 /old-page https://example.com/temporary-page

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^old-page$ https://example.com/temporary-page [R=302,L]

Nginx

In your server block configuration file:

location /old-page {
    return 302 https://example.com/temporary-page;
}

PHP

For custom applications, set the status code and Location header manually:

<?php
header('Location: https://example.com/temporary-page', true, 302);
exit;
?>

Content Management Systems (Shopify, Magento, etc.)

Most modern CMS platforms include built-in URL redirect management. In Shopify, navigate to Online Store > Navigation > URL Redirects. In Magento 2, go to Marketing > SEO & Search > URL Rewrites. Both platforms default to 301 redirects; check the dropdown or settings panel to select 302 explicitly.

How to Implement a 302 Redirect

Implementation methods vary by server environment and platform.

Apache (.htaccess)

For sites running on Apache servers, add the following line to your .htaccess file:

Redirect 302 /old-page https://example.com/temporary-page

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^old-page$ https://example.com/temporary-page [R=302,L]

Nginx

In your server block configuration file:

location /old-page {
    return 302 https://example.com/temporary-page;
}

WordPress

Free plugins handle redirects without touching server files:

• Redirection (free) — the most popular redirect manager for WordPress, supporting 301, 302, 307, and 308 redirects with logging and 404 monitoring.

PHP

For custom applications, set the status code and Location header manually:

<?php
header('Location: https://example.com/temporary-page', true, 302);
exit;
?>

Content Management Systems (Shopify, Magento, etc.)

Most modern CMS platforms include built-in URL redirect management. In Shopify, navigate to Online Store > Navigation > URL Redirects. In Magento 2, go to Marketing > SEO & Search > URL Rewrites. Both platforms default to 301 redirects; check the dropdown or settings panel to select 302 explicitly.

How to Check Your Redirect Type

Verifying that a redirect is returning the correct status code is a critical step before launching any redirect configuration. Several methods are available at no cost.

Browser DevTools (Free)

1. Open Chrome DevTools (F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I).
2. Go to the Network tab.
3. Check “Preserve log.”
4. Visit the old URL.
5. Click the first entry in the network log and look at the Status column. You should see 302 (or 301, 307, etc.).
6. Check the Location header under Response Headers to confirm the destination URL.

curl Command Line (Free, All Platforms)

curl -I https://example.com/old-page

HTTP/2 302
location: https://example.com/temporary-page

curl -IL https://example.com/old-page

Google Search Console

The URL Inspection tool shows how Googlebot sees your page. If Google is indexing the destination URL instead of the original, the tool will indicate this under “Page indexing” > “Canonical URL.”

What Is the ‘Too Many Redirects’ Error? & How to Fix It

The “too many redirects” error (often displayed as ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS in Chrome) occurs when a browser gets stuck in a redirect loop — page A redirects to page B, which redirects back to page A, creating an infinite cycle. After approximately 20 redirects, the browser gives up and shows the error.

Common Causes

• Misconfigured 301/302 chains: A redirect points to a URL that itself has a redirect pointing back to the original.
• HTTPS configuration conflicts: The server redirects HTTP to HTTPS, but the HTTPS configuration redirects back to HTTP.
• CMS plugin conflicts: Multiple WordPress plugins or .htaccess rules issuing competing redirect instructions.
• Cloudflare or CDN misconfiguration: SSL/TLS settings at the CDN level conflicting with origin server redirects.

How to Fix It

1. Clear your browser cookies and cache — corrupted cookies can sometimes trigger the error on a single machine.
2. Trace the redirect chain using curl -IL or a redirect checker to identify the loop.
3. Check your .htaccess or Nginx config for conflicting rules. Look for redirects that reference each other.
4. In WordPress, disable all redirect-related plugins and re-enable them one by one to identify the conflict.
5. Verify your SSL certificate and HTTPS settings. Ensure the HTTPS redirect points to the correct protocol and domain variant (www vs. non-www).
6. Test in an incognito window to rule out browser extension interference.

Why Am I Getting 302 Instead of 200?

1. Server-Level Redirect Rules

The most frequent cause is an Apache .htaccess rule, Nginx configuration line, or CMS redirect setting that you may have forgotten about — or that a plugin added automatically. Check your server configuration files for any Redirect or RewriteRule directives targeting the URL in question.

2. CMS Automatic Redirects

WordPress, for example, automatically redirects URLs when it detects a slug change. If you changed a post’s permalink, WordPress creates an internal redirect from the old slug to the new one — and this may return a 302 depending on your permalink settings.

3. Authentication or Login Walls

Many sites use 302 redirects to send unauthenticated users to a login page. If you are accessing a protected resource without being logged in, a 302 to /login is expected behavior.

4. Trailing Slash Enforcement

Some server configurations redirect URLs with missing or extra trailing slashes. For instance, /page may return a 302 redirecting to /page/. While this is usually harmless, excessive trailing-slash redirects can waste crawl budget on large sites.