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301 vs 302 Redirects: Which to Use on Your WordPress Site

Choose 301 for permanent WordPress URL changes, 302 for temporary moves or tests, and 307/308 when a non-GET request must preserve its method. This guide explains SEO signals, WordPress implementation, testing, and common redirect failures.
Length10 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Use a 301 redirect when a WordPress URL has moved permanently and the replacement should become the address shown in search results. Use a 302 when the alternate URL is temporary and the original should remain the primary indexed address. Choosing the wrong status can send search engines the wrong canonical signal, complicate testing, or leave visitors following a redirect that should have been removed.

The decision in one minute

Situation Status to choose Reason
A slug, page, domain, or protocol has moved for good 301 The destination is the permanent replacement in search and for users.
A page is temporarily unavailable or visitors are being sent to a short-lived notice 302 The original URL remains the intended result when the temporary condition ends.
A redirect-based A/B or SEO test is running 302 Google explicitly recommends a temporary redirect so the variation does not replace the original in indexing.
A POST or another method-sensitive request must be redirected 307 or 308 These codes unambiguously preserve the request method under RFC 9110.

The code describes the nature of the move, not how important the page is. A high-value page can need a 302 during a short outage, while a low-traffic URL can need a 301 after a permanent rename.

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What each redirect status tells a browser and a search engine

301: Moved Permanently

A 301 says that the old address has been replaced. For a permanent URL change, the destination should become the canonical location users and search engines use. Typical examples include changing a post slug, replacing a deleted page with a genuinely equivalent page, moving from HTTP to HTTPS, changing domains, or consolidating duplicate URL versions.

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Once the move is permanent, update the site so new references point directly to the destination. Leaving internal links, XML sitemap entries, canonical tags, navigation, or campaign links aimed at the old address creates avoidable redirect requests and can produce chains.

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302: Found (temporary redirect)

A 302 tells clients that the requested resource is currently available at another address, but the change is not intended to replace the original permanently. Use it for a brief maintenance page, a temporary campaign destination, reversible geographic or device routing, or a controlled experiment.

Because the original remains the intended URL, a 302 is the appropriate signal when you expect to send traffic back. Do not leave a temporary 302 in place indefinitely after a migration; when the move becomes permanent, change the implementation to a permanent status and update the site’s references.

307 and 308: method-preserving alternatives

RFC 9110 defines 307 as the temporary, method-preserving counterpart and 308 as the permanent, method-preserving counterpart. They matter primarily when the request is not an ordinary GET for a page. A checkout, form submission, API call, or other POST can behave differently if a client changes the method while following a 301 or 302. Choose 307 for a temporary method-sensitive move and 308 for a permanent one when preserving the method is required and your hosting stack supports the code correctly.

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How 301 and 302 affect WordPress SEO

Google Search Central says that when a URL must change in search results, a permanent server-side redirect is recommended whenever possible. That signal tells Google the destination is the canonical replacement. A temporary redirect does not make the same permanent canonical claim, so the original URL can retain its search presence while the temporary destination is used for visitors.

For a redirect-based test, Google gives the opposite instruction: use a 302, not a 301. A 301 can cause the variation URL to be treated as the replacement, undermining the purpose of testing. A 302 keeps the original URL as the address associated with the experiment while users are sent to the variation.

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There is no authoritative success-rate percentage or guaranteed propagation time that applies to every site. Redirect processing depends on the server, hosting environment, crawl patterns, existing signals, and the quality of the destination. Treat the status code as one part of a consistent migration rather than a promise of an instant ranking change.

WordPress situations and the right status

Renaming a post or page slug

If /old-slug/ has become /new-slug/ and the content has permanently moved, create a 301 from the old path to the new one. Keep the destination closely equivalent, change internal links, and make sure the canonical tag and sitemap contain the new URL.

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Replacing a page that will not return

Redirect the old page with a 301 only when the replacement satisfies the same user intent or is clearly relevant. Sending every unrelated retired URL to the home page can create a poor experience and weak signals. If no relevant replacement exists, a redirect may not be the right solution; handle the retirement according to your site’s content and status-code policy.

Moving a domain or switching to HTTPS

A domain migration or HTTP-to-HTTPS change is permanent, so use 301 redirects from each old URL to its corresponding final URL. Avoid sending all paths to one generic page. Verify that the final host, protocol, path, and important query-string behavior are correct, then update links and sitemaps so the redirect is not needed for normal navigation.

Maintenance or a short outage

For a scheduled, reversible interruption, a 302 can send visitors to a status or maintenance URL while preserving the original page as the intended destination. Remove or change the temporary redirect when the page is available again. If the maintenance response must work for a POST or another method-sensitive request, evaluate a 307 instead.

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Campaign landing pages and temporary routing

A short promotion, event page, or reversible audience route can use a 302 when the original URL should remain the long-term address. Document the end date and owner so the temporary rule is not forgotten. If the campaign becomes the permanent destination, replace the status with a permanent redirect and complete the normal link and sitemap cleanup.

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A/B tests and redirect experiments

Use 302 for a test that sends users from an original URL to a variation URL. This is the specific guidance from Google for redirect-based testing. Keep the experiment’s routing consistent, prevent competing rules from creating a chain, and remove the test redirect when the test ends. Do not use a 301 merely because the variation is expected to win.

Geographic or device routing

When routing may be reversed—for example, sending visitors temporarily to a regional or device-specific experience—a 302 communicates that the original URL remains the durable address. Review caching and query-string behavior carefully, because a response cached for one audience can be inappropriate for another.

Where to implement a WordPress redirect

Server or edge configuration

A redirect emitted by the web server or edge is generally the most reliable option. It runs before WordPress loads, reduces application overhead, and gives crawlers a clear first response. Google distinguishes server-side redirects as the preferred approach when a URL needs to change in search.

Apache installations commonly expose directives named Redirect permanent and Redirect temp. NGINX configurations commonly return an explicit 301 or 302. The exact syntax, location block, path handling, and reload procedure vary by host, so adapt the rule to your actual domain and paths rather than pasting an example unchanged. Confirm that another rule, cache, or control panel is not overriding the response.

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A WordPress redirect plugin or trusted redirect tool

A plugin is convenient when editors cannot change Apache, NGINX, or edge settings. Before relying on it, verify all of the following:

  • It sends the status you selected rather than silently converting it to another code.
  • It handles trailing slashes, URL encoding, and query strings as your site requires.
  • It does not create a loop by pointing a rule back to its own source.
  • It does not create unnecessary chains through several intermediate URLs.
  • It lets you review logs or hit counts so obsolete rules can be removed.

Plugin redirects still depend on WordPress running. For a large migration or a site under heavy load, a server or edge rule is usually easier to keep consistent.

WordPress’s built-in canonical normalization

WordPress includes the redirect_canonical() function, which compares an incoming URL with the proper URL derived from the site’s settings and request. It can normalize common variants automatically, but it is not a substitute for planning a content migration. The function intentionally excludes several contexts, including administration screens, previews, searches, feeds, robots.txt, favicon.ico, and POST requests. A redirect that works for a normal front-end GET therefore may not run in those contexts.

Step-by-step: make a permanent WordPress URL move

  1. Map the old URL to one final destination. Choose a destination that is equivalent or clearly relevant. Do not map a group of unrelated pages to the home page just to eliminate 404 responses.
  2. Choose a server-side 301 where possible. If you cannot edit the server or edge, use a trusted WordPress redirect tool and confirm the emitted status.
  3. Install the rule before changing links. The old address should return the 301 immediately, with a Location header containing the final URL.
  4. Update the site’s own references. Change menus, contextual links, canonical tags, XML sitemaps, feeds where applicable, and campaign URLs to use the destination directly.
  5. Check variants. Test the HTTP and HTTPS forms, host variants, trailing-slash behavior, expected query strings, mobile delivery, and any logged-in or cached version that your setup treats differently.
  6. Check the final response. Follow the redirect and make sure the destination returns the expected 200 response rather than another redirect, an error, or a different page.

Step-by-step: set up a temporary 302

  1. Define the end condition. Record when the original URL should become active again and who will remove the rule.
  2. Select the temporary destination. Make its purpose obvious to visitors, such as a maintenance or campaign page, and avoid a destination that is unrelated to the original request.
  3. Return a 302 from the first request. A server or edge rule is preferred; a WordPress tool is acceptable when it reliably emits the selected code.
  4. Test normal and exceptional traffic. Check anonymous and logged-in requests, cached and uncached responses, mobile delivery, query strings, and any method other than GET that your application uses.
  5. Remove the rule when the temporary condition ends. Confirm the original URL now returns its normal response. If the destination has become the permanent replacement, perform a deliberate 301 migration instead of leaving the 302 in place.
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How to verify the response

Do not judge a redirect by what the browser eventually displays. Inspect the first HTTP response, its status, and its Location header, then follow the chain to the final page. A command-line check can reveal the sequence:

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curl -I https://example.com/old-page
curl -I -L https://example.com/old-page

The first command should show the intended 301, 302, 307, or 308 and a correct Location. The second follows redirects so you can count hops and confirm the final response. A header-checking service can provide the same information when shell access is unavailable.

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  • Wrong status: another rule, plugin setting, cache, or host control panel is answering first. Trace the request at the server or edge layer.
  • Redirect loop: the destination matches the source under a different protocol, host, slash convention, or plugin rule. Exclude the final URL from the source pattern and retest each variant.
  • Redirect chain: the first destination redirects again. Point the original URL directly at the final URL and update internal links.
  • Unexpected query-string result: the rule may be dropping, duplicating, or changing parameters. Test the exact campaign or tracking URL that visitors use.
  • Works for visitors but not for a form: inspect the request method. A 307 or 308 may be needed to preserve a POST or other non-GET method.
  • WordPress behaves differently in an admin or preview: this can be expected because redirect_canonical() excludes administrative and preview contexts. Test the public URL separately.

Common mistakes that cause SEO and usability problems

Using 302 for a migration that is already permanent

A long-running 302 leaves the temporary signal in place when the old address should have been replaced. Decide whether the move is genuinely reversible; if not, use a 301 and complete the migration updates.

Using 301 for a test

A 301 tells search engines that the variation is the replacement. That can interfere with an A/B or redirect experiment. Use 302 for the testing period and remove the experiment rule afterward.

Redirecting to an irrelevant page

Status codes cannot make an unrelated destination relevant. Match the old page’s intent as closely as possible, and do not use a site-wide home-page redirect as a blanket cleanup strategy.

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Leaving internal links pointed at redirected URLs

Visitors and crawlers then take an unnecessary hop on every visit. Change links, canonicals, sitemaps, navigation, and campaign material to the final address after a permanent move.

Ignoring non-GET requests

Page navigation is usually a GET, but forms, checkouts, and APIs may not be. If preserving the method and request body is essential, select 307 or 308 and verify that every layer in front of WordPress supports it.

Assuming WordPress canonicalization covers every case

The built-in canonical function normalizes selected front-end requests, but it deliberately skips admin, preview, search, feed, robots, favicon, and POST contexts. Explicit rules are still needed for planned URL changes.

A practical decision checklist

  • Will the old URL ever be the intended public address again?
  • Which URL should appear as the primary result in search?
  • Is the request an ordinary GET, or must a POST or other method survive unchanged?
  • Can the redirect run at the server or edge before WordPress loads?
  • Does the destination satisfy the old URL’s intent?
  • Have you updated internal links, canonical tags, sitemaps, navigation, and campaign URLs?
  • Have you tested the first response, the Location header, the complete chain, and the final status?
  • Have you checked logged-in, cached, mobile, and query-string variants that matter on your site?

If the answers indicate a lasting replacement, implement and validate a 301. If the original must remain the durable address, use a 302. If method preservation is a requirement, use the corresponding 307 or 308 code instead.

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