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.
What 307 means
307 Temporary Redirect tells the client the resource is temporarily at the URL in the Location header, and that it must repeat the request there using the same method and body. This is the precise, method-preserving counterpart to 302.
Because it is temporary, the original URL remains the one crawlers should keep using for the future.
307 vs 302 vs 308
302 has historically been treated inconsistently: some clients changed a POST into a GET when following it. 307 removes that ambiguity by requiring the method to stay the same. For a permanent, method-preserving redirect, use 308 instead.
For ordinary GET-only page moves, the practical crawler treatment of 302 and 307 is similar; 307 matters most when the method must be preserved.
- 307 — temporary, method preserved
- 302 — temporary, method historically ambiguous
- 308 — permanent, method preserved
Operator checklist
Use 307 when a temporary redirect must keep the request method and body intact. For permanent moves switch to 308 (or 301 for simple GET pages). Confirm the Location target is correct and reachable.
How it appears in analytics and logs
A 307 means a temporary, method-preserving redirect. As with 302, crawlers keep the original URL; the difference is that 307 forbids changing the method, which matters for non-GET requests.
Diagnostic use case
Redirect temporarily without changing the request method (e.g. preserving a POST), and confirm crawlers treat the original URL as canonical.
What WebmasterID can help detect
WebmasterID can show which URLs return 307 to crawlers, helping you confirm temporary, method-preserving redirects behave as intended.
Common mistakes
- Using 307 for a permanent move — use 308 or 301 instead.
- Assuming 302 always preserves the method; it historically may not.
- Pointing the redirect at an unreachable or irrelevant target.
Privacy and accuracy notes
Redirect status codes carry no personal data. WebmasterID reports redirect patterns for crawler traffic without exposing individual visitors.
Related pages
- 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.
- HTTP 308 Permanent Redirect
308 Permanent Redirect signals a permanent move while preserving the request method and body. It is the method-preserving counterpart to 301: crawlers follow it, replace the old URL over time, and consolidate signals onto the target — without downgrading a POST to a GET.
- Website observability
See which URLs return method-preserving redirects.
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.