A 302 redirect is an HTTP status code that tells browsers and crawlers a page has temporarily moved to a different URL. It signals that the move is short-term and the original URL should remain the canonical address once the situation ends.
That distinction matters more than most small-business owners realize. Use the wrong redirect type and you can confuse search engines, dilute rankings, or hand link equity to the wrong page for months.
What a 302 redirect actually does
When a browser or crawler requests a URL and the server responds with a 302 status, the server is saying: “The thing you asked for lives over here for now, but check back at this original address next time.” The browser follows the redirect, but it does not update bookmarks, and a crawler does not swap the original URL out of its index.
Technically, 302 is labelled “Found.” You will also see 307 (“Temporary Redirect”), a stricter version that preserves the HTTP method. For everyday SEO use, 302 is the one you’ll see in WordPress plugins and server configs.
302 vs 301: the core difference
A 301 is permanent. It tells crawlers the original URL is gone for good and the destination should replace it in the index. A 302 is temporary. The original URL stays canonical as far as search engines are concerned.
| Attribute | 301 Redirect | 302 Redirect |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Moved Permanently | Found / Temporary |
| Indexed URL | Destination URL | Original URL |
| Browser caching | Cached aggressively | Not cached by default |
| Typical use | Permanent moves, consolidation | Short-term swaps, testing |
How Googlebot handles each
For years, the SEO playbook said 302s did not pass link equity the way 301s did. More recently, Google has stated that 301 and 302 redirects are treated similarly for passing link signals, and the system is smart enough to figure out intent if you leave a 302 in place long enough.
Do not take that as permission to be sloppy. The point of using the correct status code is to give crawlers an unambiguous signal. A 302 left in place for a year still risks the original URL staying in the index when you actually wanted the destination there. Pick the redirect that matches what you mean.
When a 302 is the right choice
- A/B testing. Sending a slice of traffic to a variant while the original stays canonical.
- Geo-targeting that may change. Routing visitors from a country to a localized landing page you might restructure later.
- Temporary maintenance pages. Pointing a section to a “back soon” page during migration.
- Seasonal landing pages. Sending /summer-sale to /promotions/july for a few weeks.
- Logged-in vs logged-out routing. Bouncing anonymous users to a sign-in screen.
The common thread: the original URL is the long-term home, and the redirect is a detour, not a move.
When a 301 is the right choice
- Permanent URL changes. Renaming /service-1 to /web-design-toronto.
- Content consolidation. Merging two thin blog posts into one and redirecting the loser to the winner.
- Domain migration. Including HTTP-to-HTTPS upgrades and www vs non-www standardization.
- Removing pages with backlinks. Deleting an old service page that still earns links, redirecting it to the closest live equivalent.
- Trailing-slash or capitalization fixes. Forcing one canonical version.
If you would not undo the change in a few weeks, it’s a 301.
Common mistakes
- Using 302 for a permanent move. The most common one. A site rebuild changes every URL, the dev sets up 302s because the plugin defaults to that, and months later the old URLs are still ranking instead of the new ones.
- Redirect chains. URL A redirects to B, B to C, C to D. Each hop bleeds signal. Collapse chains so A goes straight to D.
- Redirect loops. A points at B, B points back at A. Browser eventually gives up.
- Redirecting everything to the homepage. Google treats homepage redirects from unrelated pages as soft 404s. Map each retired URL to the most relevant live page.
- Forgetting internal links. Redirects are a safety net for external links. Still update your own internal links to point at the final URL.
How to implement on WordPress
The Redirection plugin by John Godley is the standard. Add a source URL, target URL, and pick “302 Found” from the HTTP code dropdown. Yoast SEO Premium and Rank Math Pro have built-in redirect managers. For a handful of redirects, plugins are fine. If you’re managing hundreds, push them to the server layer for speed.
How to audit existing redirects
- Crawl with Screaming Frog or Sitebulb. Sort Response Codes by status. Pull every 302.
- For each 302, ask: is the original URL coming back? If not, change to 301.
- Look at Redirect Chains. Anything longer than one hop gets flattened.
- Check Google Search Console > Indexing > Pages for “Page with redirect.”
- Update internal links so they point at the final URL.
- Re-crawl to confirm loops and chains are gone.
Run this audit annually, and any time you do a redesign, migration, or significant content cleanup.
The short version
Use a 302 when the move is temporary and the original URL will come back. Use a 301 when the move is permanent. Google has narrowed the practical gap, but the semantic difference still drives how your URLs get indexed. Pick the right tool, keep redirect chains short, and audit what’s already on the site before adding anything new.