What Is a 302 Status Code?

A 302 status code, officially called Found, is part of the HTTP/1.1 protocol and indicates that the requested resource temporarily resides at a different URI.

In simpler terms, when a client (like a web browser, app, or search engine bot) requests a URL and the server responds with a 302, it’s saying:
“The content you want is temporarily located elsewhere, but keep using the original URL in the future because this change is not permanent.”
This distinguishes 302 from a 301 redirect, which signals a permanent move. With a 302, the expectation is that the redirection is only for a short time — the server might later point the original URL back to its original destination.

Technical Definition (RFC 7231, Section 6.4.3)

The official specification says:
“The target resource resides temporarily under a different URI, and the client ought to continue using the effective request URI for future requests.”
In practice, the server should:
- Include a Location header in the HTTP response, pointing to the temporary URI.
- Provide an optional body (usually a short hypertext note) linking to the temporary resource.
- Understand that clients (browsers, bots) may automatically follow the Location header to the new URL.
Historical Behavior: POST-to-GET Issue
Historically, one of the quirks of 302 is that many browsers, when receiving a 302 response to a POST request, would change the subsequent request to a GET.
This could lead to unintended consequences:
- Example: You submit a form (POST) to an endpoint that returns a 302 → the client might reissue the follow-up request as a GET, dropping the form data.
To avoid this, 307 Temporary Redirect was introduced later to explicitly preserve the original HTTP method. So today, if preserving the request method matters, it’s safer to use a 307 rather than a 302.
Example Scenarios of Why 302 Is Used
There are several valid, real-world reasons to use a 302 redirect:
- Temporary maintenance or downtime: Redirect users to a temporary page while the original resource is being updated or fixed.
- A/B testing or experiments: Redirect a percentage of traffic to test versions of a page without permanently changing URLs.
- Short-term promotions or seasonal campaigns: Temporarily reroute users to a special landing page for a specific event.
- Geo-based routing: Direct users from specific locations to a localized version of a page (though this is often better handled at the application level).
Important Clarifications
- A 302 status should not be used for permanent changes — that’s what the 301 status code is for.
- Repeated or long-term use of 302 when the change is actually permanent can confuse search engines, dilute SEO signals, and hurt site performance.
- Modern search engines are smart enough to recognize patterns and may treat long-standing 302s like 301s, but it’s still best practice to use the correct code.
A 302 status code is your server’s way of saying, “I’m sending you somewhere else — just for now.” It enables temporary redirection without changing the canonical or primary URL, keeping both user experience and system architecture flexible. However, it needs to be used carefully to avoid SEO and method-handling pitfalls.

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How Does a 302 Redirect Work?

A 302 redirect works by guiding a client — like a browser, bot, or app — to a temporary alternate location when it requests a particular URL. This process happens through an HTTP request and response exchange, handled mostly under the hood, often invisible to end users.

Let’s break it down step by step.

Step 1: Client Makes a Request

The client sends an HTTP request for a resource. Example:

GET /example HTTP/1.1  
Host: www.example.com

This is the initial action when someone visits https://www.example.com/example.

Step 2: Server Responds With a 302

Instead of returning the requested content, the server replies:

HTTP/1.1 302 Found  
Location: https://www.example.com/new-location  
Content-Length: 0

Key parts:

302 Found → This status code tells the client that the resource has moved temporarily.
Location Header → Specifies the temporary URL where the client should go.
Content-Length: 0 → Often, the server includes no body since the important instruction is in the header.

Step 3: Client Automatically Redirects

Modern browsers and many bots automatically follow the Location header.

They issue a new request to the URL in the Location field.

Example follow-up request:

GET /new-location HTTP/1.1  
Host: www.example.com

This happens behind the scenes, so the user doesn’t notice — they just see the content appear from the new location.

Historical Note: POST-to-GET Conversion

One important quirk with 302 redirects is that when a POST request receives a 302 response, some clients (particularly older browsers) change the follow-up request method to GET.
This means that form submissions, which normally carry data in the POST body, can be unintentionally stripped of data if the server returns a 302.

To handle this properly, you should:

Use 307 Temporary Redirect if you want the method to remain unchanged.
Understand that 302, by convention, allows the method to change.

Caching Behavior

By default, a 302 redirect is not cacheable unless you explicitly include headers like Cache-Control or Expires.
This makes sense because the redirection is temporary — the server may change the destination at any time, and you want clients to recheck the original URL on future visits.

Real-World Flow Example

Here’s a real scenario:

User requests https://brand.com/flash-sale.
Server is running a temporary promo and sends a 302 redirect to https://brand.com/sale-event.
Browser follows the redirect, shows the sale page.
Next week, when the promotion ends, the original URL serves its regular content again.

A 302 redirect works by temporarily rerouting clients to another URL without changing the original reference point. The server signals the temporary change via the 302 status and Location header, and the client automatically handles the switch. This process is fast, seamless, and essential for temporary updates — but it must be used correctly to avoid unintended side effects, especially with request methods and caching.

302 Code References Across Frameworks

While the 302 status code (officially called “Found”) is a universal part of the HTTP standard, the way you implement or reference it in real-world applications varies depending on the programming language or web framework you’re working with.

Developers rarely hardcode the number 302 directly into their applications; instead, they use named constants or helper functions provided by their framework or language. This improves readability, reduces errors, and aligns with best practices.

Let’s break this down in detail.

Common 302 Code References

Environment / Language	Code Reference
Ruby on Rails	`:found`
Go (Golang)	`http.StatusFound`
Symfony (PHP)	`Response::HTTP_FOUND`
Python 2	`httplib.FOUND`
Python 3+	`http.client.FOUND`
Python 3.5+	`http.HTTPStatus.FOUND`
.NET (C#)	`HttpStatusCode.Found`
Rust	`http::StatusCode::FOUND`
Java	`java.net.HttpURLConnection.HTTP_MOVED_TEMP`
Apache HttpComponents Core	`org.apache.hc.core5.http.HttpStatus.SC_MOVED_TEMPORARILY`
Angular (TypeScript)	`@angular/common/http/HttpStatusCode.Found`

Example Code Snippets

Ruby on Rails

redirect_to 'https://example.com/new-page', status: :found

Go (Golang)

http.Redirect(w, r, "https://example.com/new-page", http.StatusFound)

Symfony (PHP)

use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\RedirectResponse;

$response = new RedirectResponse('https://example.com/new-page', Response::HTTP_FOUND);
$response->send();

Python (Flask Example)

from flask import redirect

@app.route('/old-page')
def old_page():
    return redirect('/new-page', code=302)

Apache .htaccess Rule

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

NGINX Configuration

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

Why Use Named Constants?

Readability: Instead of puzzling over what 302 means, developers see StatusFound or HTTP_FOUND, which directly signals intent.
Maintainability: If standards evolve (rare, but possible), using constants allows easier system-wide updates.
Framework Support: Many frameworks bundle extra features (like logging or hooks) when you use their built-in redirect functions or helpers.

Every major development platform offers a clean, reliable way to implement 302 redirects — and using framework-specific constants ensures your code is readable, maintainable, and aligned with best practices. Whether you’re working in Ruby, Go, PHP, Python, or configuring Apache/NGINX, 302 support is baked into the ecosystem.

302 Status Code Example (HTTP Request & Response)

To fully understand how a 302 redirect works, it’s helpful to look at the raw HTTP request and response — the low-level exchange between the client (such as a browser or bot) and the server. This shows exactly how the redirect is signaled and followed.

Let’s walk through a detailed example.

Example Scenario

A user tries to visit this URL:
https://www.example.com/example

Step 1: Client Sends HTTP Request

The browser sends a basic HTTP request:

GET /example HTTP/1.1  
Host: www.example.com  
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) Chrome/113.0.0.0  
Accept: text/html

This is the client asking: “Please give me the /example page.”

Step 2: Server Sends 302 Response

The server replies:

HTTP/1.1 302 Found  
Location: https://www.example.com/new-location  
Content-Length: 0  
Connection: close

Let’s break this down:

HTTP/1.1 302 Found: This is the key line telling the client, “The resource you want is temporarily at another location.”
Location Header: This points to the temporary destination. The browser should now go fetch the resource from https://www.example.com/new-location.
Content-Length: 0: Often there’s no body because the important information is in the header.

Step 3: Client Automatically Follows Redirect

The browser issues a new GET request to the redirected URL:

GET /new-location HTTP/1.1  
Host: www.example.com  
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) Chrome/113.0.0.0  
Accept: text/html

The user (or bot) is seamlessly brought to the new page, often without even realizing a redirect happened.

Why Is This Example Important?

✅ It shows that 302 works at the protocol level — the client and server communicate entirely through standardized HTTP headers.
✅ It explains why the Location header is essential; without it, the client wouldn’t know where to go.
✅ It highlights that most of the redirect behavior is handled automatically by browsers and search engines — but developers must configure it properly on the server side.

A 302 status code example in raw HTTP form reveals the behind-the-scenes redirect process: the client asks for a page, the server responds with a 302 and new destination, and the client follows the provided path. Understanding this flow helps developers debug, optimize, and control the redirect behavior of their websites.

When Should You Use a 302 Redirect?

A 302 redirect is designed for situations where you want to temporarily send users or search engines to a different URL but expect to revert back to the original URL in the future.

This is a critical distinction: if the move is permanent, a 301 redirect should be used instead. Using the wrong type of redirect can create SEO confusion, hurt rankings, and lead to inefficient site management.

Let’s explore when a 302 is the right tool.

Common, Appropriate Use Cases for 302 Redirects

Temporary Content Moves
Example: You’re redesigning or updating a webpage and want to temporarily route visitors to a maintenance page or backup version. Once the work is done, you plan to restore the original URL.
A/B Testing and Experiments
Marketers often use 302 redirects to split traffic between two or more versions of a page during A/B or multivariate tests. Because these tests are temporary, the 302 ensures search engines know not to pass SEO authority permanently to the test variations.
Short-Term Promotions or Campaigns
If you’re running a seasonal sale, event, or limited-time campaign, you might temporarily redirect an evergreen URL (like /shop) to a dedicated landing page (like /summer-sale). Once the promotion ends, you revert the URL back.
Geographic or Device-Based Redirection
Some sites temporarily redirect visitors to region-specific content or device-specific versions (mobile/desktop) using 302s. This is especially useful when rolling out new features or translations.
Temporary Product or Service Unavailability
If a product page is temporarily out of stock or undergoing backend maintenance, you might use a 302 to route visitors to a general category page or an informational notice — but with the intent to restore the original link soon.

Why Not Use 301 in These Cases?

A 301 tells browsers and search engines that the change is permanent — so they should update indexes, transfer SEO signals, and treat the old URL as gone. If the change is temporary, using a 301 could:

Cause search engines to drop the original URL from their index prematurely.
Pass link authority and ranking signals to a temporary page, which you don’t want.

Important Best Practices

Use 302 redirects only when you are sure the original URL will become active again.
Avoid using 302s for long-term or permanent moves — that’s what 301s are for.
Always monitor traffic, rankings, and user experience during a 302 period to ensure things are working as intended.

A 302 redirect is perfect for temporary reroutes where the original URL will eventually return. It ensures you preserve search engine trust, avoid misdirected authority, and keep your website flexible during short-term changes. But used improperly, it can create SEO headaches — so apply it carefully and intentionally.

When Should You Avoid a 302 Redirect?

While 302 redirects are useful in many temporary situations, they can cause serious problems if used in the wrong context — especially when handling SEO, user experience, or backend systems.

Let’s explore the situations where you should NOT use a 302 redirect and why.

1. When the Move Is Permanent

The most common misuse of 302 is when a change is actually permanent — meaning you intend for the new URL to replace the old one long-term.

For example:

You restructured your website’s URLs (e.g., /blog/post-title becomes /articles/post-title).
You migrated to a new domain or moved a section to a subdomain.
You permanently merged two pages into one.

In all these cases, using a 302 will signal to search engines that the change is only temporary, preventing them from passing ranking signals and possibly leaving the original URL stuck in the index unnecessarily.

The correct redirect here is a 301 (Moved Permanently), which tells search engines and browsers to transfer authority and update records.

2. When You Need to Preserve the Request Method

If your application relies on keeping the original request method — such as maintaining a POST when redirecting form submissions — a 302 can cause trouble.

Why?
Many browsers, historically, convert a POST into a GET when following a 302 redirect, which can break the expected behavior or drop important form data.

In these cases, you should use a 307 Temporary Redirect, which explicitly preserves the method.

3. To Avoid Redirect Chains or Loops

A redirect chain occurs when URL A redirects to B, which redirects to C, and so on.
A redirect loop happens when URLs point back to each other in a circle.

Using 302s in complex redirect setups can unintentionally create these chains or loops, leading to:

Slower page loads.
Increased crawl waste for search engines.
User frustration due to delays or broken paths.

Best practice: Keep redirects minimal and streamlined, and audit your redirect setup regularly.

4. As a Substitute for Content or Design Fixes

A redirect should never be used as a lazy workaround to “hide” an issue — such as redirecting broken, thin, or poorly designed pages elsewhere instead of fixing them properly.

Overusing 302s this way can:

Confuse users.
Harm SEO performance.
Lead to technical debt and messy site architecture.

5. Domain or Site-Wide Migrations

If you’re changing your domain (e.g., from oldsite.com to newsite.com), a 302 is the wrong choice because you want to permanently move search engine authority and rankings.
In these cases, you need 301 redirects on every page you’re migrating.

You should avoid 302 redirects when the change is permanent, when you need to preserve request methods, when they create chains or loops, or when you’re patching over deeper content or architecture issues. Using the wrong redirect type can slow down your site, confuse search engines, and hurt your long-term SEO performance.

How Does a 302 Redirect Impact SEO?

Understanding how 302 redirects affect SEO is critical because improper use can harm your rankings, dilute authority, or confuse search engines about which pages to index. Let’s break this down carefully.

What Does Google Do With a 302 Redirect?

A 302 status code signals to Google and other search engines that:

The change is temporary.
The original URL should stay indexed.
SEO signals (like PageRank, backlinks, authority) should remain with the original page — not transfer to the temporary target.

In contrast, a 301 redirect tells Google the change is permanent, so it transfers ranking power and updates its index to point to the new URL.

Risks of Using 302 Improperly

Lost Link Equity
If you use a 302 redirect when you actually mean a permanent move, Google will withhold passing link authority to the new page — meaning your SEO gains may stall.
Duplicate Content
Search engines may index both the old and new pages if the redirect is incorrectly marked as temporary, creating duplicate content risks and diluting ranking signals.
Crawl Waste
Unnecessary or excessive 302s can create complex crawling paths, wasting search engine crawl budget and making it harder for bots to prioritize key pages.
Missed Index Updates
Since 302s tell Google to stick with the original URL, search engines won’t replace old URLs with the new destination in their index, potentially keeping outdated or broken links alive in search results.

When 302 Helps SEO (If Used Correctly)

A/B Testing Pages: You can temporarily redirect traffic between test variants without causing permanent SEO shifts.
Seasonal Promotions: You can temporarily redirect high-traffic URLs to promotional landing pages while keeping search engines focused on the main, evergreen content.
Maintenance Periods: You can signal that a temporary alternative is in place but the original page will return.

In these cases, a properly configured 302 ensures that the temporary page doesn’t replace the main one in Google’s index.

Best SEO Practices for 302 Redirects

Use 302 only when the change is truly temporary.
Switch to 301 if the move becomes permanent.
Minimize redirect chains — even with 302s — to maintain fast crawling.
Monitor search engine behavior through Google Search Console to ensure indexing and ranking signals behave as expected.

302 redirects can work safely in SEO when applied to genuinely temporary situations, but using them for permanent changes can block SEO equity from transferring, hurt rankings, and confuse search engines. Correct redirect choice is essential to maintaining site authority and visibility.

How to Fix or Troubleshoot a 302 Redirect

Troubleshooting 302 redirects requires a structured, methodical approach to ensure they’re functioning correctly and not causing SEO, performance, or user experience issues. Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide you can follow.

Step 1: Identify Active 302 Redirects

Start by mapping out where 302 redirects exist on your site.

Use browser developer tools: Open the Network tab in Chrome DevTools or Firefox, visit suspect URLs, and check for 302 responses.
Use SEO tools: Platforms like Screaming Frog SEO Spider, Ahrefs, or SEMrush can crawl your entire site and generate reports on redirect status codes.
Check server logs: Analyze your access logs for HTTP 302 responses to find programmatic or automatic redirects.

Step 2: Verify Intent — Is It Really Temporary?

Once you’ve identified a 302:

Ask: Is this redirect meant to be short-term, or has it become permanent?
Check with your dev team, SEO team, or content owners to confirm the business purpose.
If the destination has been permanent for a while, switch it to a 301 redirect.

Step 3: Check the Destination URL

Ensure that the target URL:

Is correct (no typos, no outdated links).
Is live and accessible (not returning 404 or 500 errors).
Delivers the intended user experience and content.

You can do this manually or by using automated link checkers.

Step 4: Simplify Redirect Chains

Redirect chains (e.g., A → B → C) create unnecessary hops, slow down page loads, and waste crawl budget.

Audit the full chain.
Where possible, redirect directly from A to the final destination (C), reducing the number of jumps.

Step 5: Review Server and Application Configurations

The cause of the 302 might be:

Server rules (Apache .htaccess, NGINX configs).
CMS settings (WordPress plugins, Magento, Drupal).
Custom application code (Node.js, Python, PHP).

Identify where the redirect is configured and adjust it directly at the source.

Step 6: Update External and Internal Links

Where feasible:

Update internal links to point directly to the final destination, bypassing the redirect.
Reach out to major external referrers (if possible) to ask them to update backlinks, improving performance and SEO signals.

Step 7: Test and Monitor

After making fixes:

Test manually: Use browser tools or cURL to check HTTP responses.
Test automatically: Run a full-site crawl to confirm the redirects are resolved.
Monitor SEO metrics: Check Google Search Console for crawl errors, coverage issues, or ranking shifts.

Fixing a 302 redirect involves identifying it, verifying if it’s appropriate, correcting the target, simplifying the redirect path, adjusting server settings, and ensuring both internal and external links are updated. Regular testing and monitoring ensure your changes hold up over time and prevent SEO loss.

Comparison Table: 302 vs. 301 vs. 307 vs. 308

To fully understand how 302 fits among related HTTP redirect codes, it’s essential to compare it directly with other 3xx status codes, especially 301, 307, and 308. These codes differ in permanence, method preservation, and SEO impact.

Here’s a detailed breakdown.

Status Code	Name	Temporary or Permanent?	Preserves Request Method?	SEO Behavior	Typical Use Case
301	Moved Permanently	Permanent	No (may change POST to GET)	Passes link equity and ranking signals to new URL	Permanent page or site moves; domain changes
302	Found (Temporary Redirect)	Temporary	No (may change POST to GET)	Keeps original URL indexed; minimal SEO signal transfer	Temporary redirects, A/B testing, temporary promotions
307	Temporary Redirect	Temporary	Yes (preserves method)	Keeps original URL indexed; minimal SEO signal transfer	Temporary redirects where preserving POST/PUT is critical
308	Permanent Redirect	Permanent	Yes (preserves method)	Passes link equity like 301, but preserves request method	Permanent moves where POST/PUT method must stay intact

Key Takeaways

301 vs. 302
- 301 is permanent, 302 is temporary.
- 301 signals search engines to update the index and pass SEO authority.
- 302 keeps the original URL in the index and assumes the change is short-term.
302 vs. 307
- Both are temporary, but 307 guarantees the original HTTP method (like POST) stays unchanged, while 302 allows switching to GET.
301 vs. 308
- Both are permanent, but 308 ensures the method (POST, PUT) is preserved, while 301 might switch POST to GET during the redirect.
SEO Behavior
- Only 301 and 308 pass full SEO authority to the target URL.
- 302 and 307 are designed to keep SEO focus on the original URL, as they signal the change is not permanent.

Knowing when to use 302 versus other redirect types is crucial for preserving both site performance and search engine rankings. Use 302 for temporary moves, but if you need to preserve request methods, use 307. For permanent changes, stick with 301 or 308, depending on whether you need to maintain the request method.

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