What Is a 301 Redirect?

A 301 redirect is a permanent instruction that sends both visitors and search engines from an old web address to a new one. Browsers follow it automatically. Search engines move the old page's ranking signals to the new URL, so a 301 is the standard way to change or merge pages without losing traffic. A 302 redirect, by contrast, signals that a move is only temporary.

How does a 301 redirect work?

A 301 redirect is an HTTP status code your server returns when a browser asks for a page. Instead of the page, the server replies "301 Moved Permanently" and gives the new address.

The browser then loads the new page, usually so fast the visitor never notices.

Search engines read the same response. The code says the move is permanent, so Google treats the new URL as the real home of that content. Over time it drops the old address from its index.

The redirect lives on the server, not on the old page's content. That means it still works even after you delete the old page, which is exactly when you need it most.

301 vs 302: what is the difference?

A 301 means the page has moved for good. A 302 means it is away for now, so keep the old address working.

The number is the whole message, and Google acts on it. Sending the wrong one is a common, quiet mistake.

Use a 301 whenever the change is permanent, because a permanent redirect is a strong signal Google uses to pick the canonical URL (Google Search Central). Use a 302 only for genuinely temporary situations, such as a page down for maintenance or a seasonal offer you will restore.

Tool	What it tells Google	When to use it
301 redirect	This URL moved permanently	Site moves, merged pages, deleted pages
302 redirect	This move is temporary	Short outages, seasonal swaps
Canonical tag	Prefer this URL, but keep both live	Duplicate pages that must stay reachable
Noindex	Keep this page, hide it from results	Thank-you pages, internal search results

Source: Redirects and Google Search, Google Search Central.

When should you use a 301 redirect?

Reach for a 301 any time a URL changes and you want its history to follow. The four everyday cases are a full site move, a switch from HTTP to HTTPS, merging two pages into one, and deleting a page that had links or rankings.

Say you merge two thin blog posts into one stronger guide. A 301 from each old URL to the new post moves their links and rankings onto the single page, instead of leaving two weaker versions competing. (An illustrative scenario, not a client result.)

Redirects also protect the equity you already earned. Google states that 301 and other permanent redirects do not cause a loss in PageRank (Google Search Central). The same guidance advises keeping each redirect in place for at least a year, so the signals fully transfer.

The first thing we check when a redesign loses traffic is whether its old URLs still redirect to the new ones. Dropping pages without a redirect map is the step most often skipped in a rushed site move. It shows up later as a slow slide in organic traffic, or as pages missing from Google entirely.

301 redirect vs canonical tag

A 301 and a canonical tag both point Google at a preferred URL, but they are not interchangeable. A 301 sends everyone to the new page and retires the old one. A canonical tag keeps both pages live and simply names which one Google should index.

Choose a redirect when the old URL should no longer exist. Choose a canonical when both versions must stay reachable, such as a product listed under two categories. A redirect where you needed both pages breaks the site; a canonical where you needed a clean move leaves duplicates behind.

Frequently asked questions

Do 301 redirects hurt my SEO?

No, a correctly set 301 protects your SEO rather than harming it. Google passes the old page's signals to the new URL and does not dock PageRank for a permanent redirect. Rankings may wobble briefly while Google reprocesses the move, then settle. The real harm comes from the opposite mistake, changing URLs with no redirect at all.

How long should I keep a 301 redirect?

Keep it for at least a year, and ideally leave it in place for good. Google needs time to move every affected page to the new URL. Old links and bookmarks can point at the old address for years. Removing a redirect too early sends returning visitors and any lingering links to a dead page.

What is the difference between a 301 and a 307 or 308?

A 301 and a 308 both mean a permanent move; a 302 and a 307 both mean a temporary one. The 307 and 308 codes are stricter about keeping the request method, which matters for forms and web apps more than for ordinary page moves. For most business sites, 301 for permanent and 302 for temporary is all you need.

Can too many redirects slow my site down?

A single redirect adds a tiny delay most visitors never feel. Long chains are the problem, where one URL redirects to a second, which redirects to a third. Each hop costs time and can dilute signals. Point old URLs straight at their final destination instead of stacking redirects on top of each other.

Will a 301 redirect fix duplicate content?

Often, yes. If the same content sits at several addresses, a 301 to one chosen URL removes the extras and consolidates their signals. When every version needs to stay live, a canonical tag is the better tool. Our guide to duplicate content covers when to use each.

Moving pages without losing ground

Storming Solutions runs SEO, AEO, and GEO for Malaysian businesses, and mapping redirects before a site move is one of the unglamorous steps we refuse to skip. We would rather spend an afternoon on a redirect map than explain a traffic drop that a few 301s would have prevented.

Planning a redesign or a move to HTTPS and worried about your rankings? Message us on WhatsApp or start with the SEO in Malaysia pillar. Our SEO, AEO, and GEO work keeps the pages you already rank for working after the URLs change.