302 redirect: what it is and when to use it

What is a 302 redirect

A 302 redirect is an HTTP server response with the status code 302 Found (formerly “Moved Temporarily”), indicating that a resource has temporarily moved to another URL. The browser redirects the user, but search engines keep the original URL in the index.

302 is a temporary redirect, unlike a permanent 301.

When to use 302

A 302 redirect is suitable for the following situations:

• A/B testing — temporarily redirecting some of the traffic
• Maintenance — temporarily redirecting users to a placeholder page
• Geotargeting — temporarily redirecting users to a regional version
• Development — temporarily using a different URL
• Promotions — a temporary promotional page with a return path

How to configure a 302 redirect

Nginx

# Временный редирект
location /promo-2025 {
    return 302 /promo-special;
}

Apache (.htaccess)

# Временный редирект
Redirect 302 /old-page /new-page

# Или явно
Redirect temp /old-page /new-page

Next.js

// next.config.js
async redirects() {
  return [{
    source: '/promo',
    destination: '/promo-summer',
    permanent: false, // это 302
  }];
}

PHP

header("HTTP/1.1 302 Found");
header("Location: /new-page");
exit;

302 vs. 301: SEO implications

Common mistake: Using 302 instead of 301 when a site has moved permanently. Search engines continue to index the old URL, and link equity is not passed.

Other redirect codes

• 303 See Other — for responses to POST requests (forms)
• 307 Temporary Redirect — like 302, but the request method does not change
• 308 Permanent Redirect — like 301, but the request method does not change

Check redirects with reChecker

Use Redirect Checker to analyze redirect types and chains. The tool shows:

• Redirect type (301/302/307/308)
• Final destination URL
• Number of steps in the chain
• Optimization recommendations

FAQ

Does a 302 redirect lose link equity? Google officially confirms that 302 does not pass link equity. If the redirect is permanent, use 301.

How long can a 302 remain active? There is no clear time limit, but if a redirect is in place for more than a few months, search engines may start treating it as permanent. Change it to 301.

Can I see a 302 in a browser? No — the browser follows the redirect automatically. View redirect chains using DevTools (Network), Curl, or specialized tools.