HTTP
HTTP 302Found
HTTP 302 Found tells the client that the resource is temporarily at the URL in the Location header. The client follows it for this request but should keep using the original URL in future, and search engines keep the original URL indexed. Use it for short-lived redirects: maintenance pages, A/B tests, geo-routing, post-login bounces.
What 302 means
"The thing you asked for is over there for now." The client fetches the new location, but nothing about the original URL changes: bookmarks, links and search-engine indexes still point to it, and the next request should go to the original again.
The redirect family
| Code | Permanence | Method preserved | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 301 | Permanent | No guarantee | Moves, HTTPS upgrade, canonicalisation |
| 302 | Temporary | No guarantee | Maintenance, tests, temporary routing |
| 303 | Temporary | Always GET | After POST, send to a result page |
| 307 | Temporary | Yes | Temporary move where POST must stay POST |
| 308 | Permanent | Yes | Permanent move for API endpoints |
Appropriate uses
- Sending users to a maintenance page during a deployment.
- Redirecting after login to the page the user originally requested.
- Routing visitors to a country-specific version while keeping the generic URL canonical.
- Short-lived campaign or A/B variations.
Inappropriate uses
- Site migrations and HTTPS enforcement: these are permanent; use 301.
- Hiding a 404: redirecting missing pages to the homepage with 302 confuses users and search engines. Return 404 or 410.
Configuring
Apache: Redirect 302 /promo/ /promo-2026/ or RewriteRule ... [R=302,L] ([R] alone defaults to 302). nginx: return 302 /maintenance.html;
Verifying
curl -I https://example.com/promo/Look for 302 Found and the Location header. Because browsers do not cache 302s, testing changes is easier than with 301s.
Frequently asked questions
302 or 307?
307 Temporary Redirect guarantees the method and body are preserved. 302 allows a POST to become a GET when followed, which browsers actually do. For form submissions that must be resubmitted at the new location, use 307. For "go look over there for now", 302 is fine.
What is 303 See Other?
A redirect that explicitly tells the client to use GET on the new location. It is the correct response after a successful POST that should send the user to a results page (the post/redirect/get pattern).
Will a 302 hurt SEO?
Not if it is genuinely temporary. If a 302 stays in place for months, Google usually treats it as permanent anyway. Using 302 for a permanent move delays signal consolidation; use 301 for that.