HTTP 302 Found (temporary redirect)
302 Found signals a temporary redirect: the resource is briefly available at a different URL, but the original should still be used in future. Because it does not communicate permanence, crawlers keep the original URL. Using 302 for a permanent move is a common diagnostic problem.
What 302 means
302 Found means the requested resource is temporarily at a different URL given in the Location header. The key word is temporary: the original URL is expected to return, so clients and crawlers should continue to use the original for future requests.
This is the opposite of 301, which says the new URL is permanent.
302 vs 301 for crawlers
Because 302 signals impermanence, search crawlers generally keep the original URL in the index and do not consolidate signals onto the temporary target. That is correct for genuinely temporary detours, but harmful if you actually moved the page for good — there a 301 (or 308) is the right choice.
Note the historical nuance: 302 has long been ambiguous about whether the request method is preserved. When method preservation matters, use 307 (temporary) or 308 (permanent).
- 302 — temporary; keep using the original URL
- 301 — permanent move; consolidate onto the new URL
- 307/308 — method-preserving temporary/permanent
Operator checklist
Use 302 only for genuinely temporary redirects. Audit logs for pages that have permanently moved but still return 302, and switch those to 301. If request method must be preserved, prefer 307 over 302.
How it appears in analytics and logs
A 302 tells a crawler the move is temporary, so it should keep indexing the original URL. If a permanently moved page returns 302, signals may not consolidate onto the new URL as a 301 would do.
Diagnostic use case
Redirect temporarily (A/B tests, short campaigns, maintenance detours) while keeping the original URL canonical, and catch 302s used where a permanent 301 was intended.
What WebmasterID can help detect
WebmasterID can show which URLs return 302 to crawlers, helping you catch temporary redirects left in place where a permanent 301 was intended.
Common mistakes
- Using 302 for a permanent move, preventing signal consolidation.
- Assuming 302 preserves the HTTP method — use 307 when that matters.
- Leaving temporary redirects in place long after they were needed.
Privacy and accuracy notes
Redirect codes are request-level signals with no personal data. WebmasterID reports redirect patterns for crawler traffic without exposing individual visitors.
Related pages
- HTTP 301 Moved Permanently for crawlers
301 Moved Permanently tells clients and crawlers that a resource has permanently moved to a new URL. It is the standard signal for migrations and URL changes: crawlers follow it, update their index over time, and consolidate ranking signals onto the new location. Use it whenever content has a stable new home.
- HTTP 307 Temporary Redirect
307 Temporary Redirect is a temporary redirect that, unlike the historically ambiguous 302, guarantees the request method and body are preserved. A POST stays a POST. It signals impermanence, so crawlers keep the original URL while following the detour for the current request.
- Website observability
See which URLs return temporary redirects to crawlers.
Sources and verification notes
Last reviewed 2026-06-24. Facts are checked against primary/official sources where available; uncertain specifics are marked “Data not yet verified” rather than guessed.