Glossaire · SEO

302 Redirect

A 302 redirect is an HTTP status code signaling that a page has been moved temporarily to another URL. Unlike a 301 redirect (permanent), the 302 tells browsers and search engines that the original address remains the canonical version and is expected to return soon. The server sends a « 302 Found » header along with the new URL in the Location field. In theory, Google therefore keeps the original URL in its index and does not permanently pass ranking value to the destination. The 302 redirect suits temporary situations: maintenance, A/B testing, a time-limited promotional page, or geolocation. Misused in place of a 301, it prevents PageRank consolidation and weakens indexing. That is why the choice between 301 and 302 always depends on the real duration of the move and the intent behind it.

The 302 redirect belongs to the 3xx family of HTTP status codes dedicated to redirects. Its role is to inform the client (browser or crawler) that the requested resource is temporarily located at another address, without calling the original URL into question.

How it works

When a user or a crawler requests a page configured as a 302, the server responds with an « HTTP/1.1 302 Found » header and indicates the new destination in the Location field. The browser then automatically loads the target page but keeps the original address as the reference. For search engines, this signal is read as "change nothing in your index, the original URL will come back."

This is precisely the nuance that distinguishes the 302 from the 301 redirect, which instead orders engines to permanently replace the old URL with the new one and to transfer PageRank.

A concrete example

You launch a promotional landing page during a sale and want to temporarily redirect your usual category to that offer. A 302 is appropriate: when the campaign ends, you remove the redirect and the original category resumes its place in the index, without having lost its ranking history.

Why it matters

Confusing 301 and 302 is one of the most costly technical mistakes in SEO. A 302 mistakenly kept on a permanent move prevents authority consolidation, dilutes the indexing signal, and can leave two URLs competing in the SERP.

Key takeaway

Reserve the 302 for genuinely temporary moves. As soon as a URL change becomes permanent, switch to a 301.

FAQ

Questions fréquentes

Officially, a 302 does not pass PageRank durably because it is temporary. In practice, if Google detects that a 302 stays in place for a very long time, it usually ends up treating it like a 301 and transfers the authority.

Use a 302 only for a temporary move: maintenance, A/B testing, a promotional offer, or geographic redirection. For any permanent URL change, the 301 is mandatory in order to consolidate rankings.

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