302 Redirect

Detailed explanation

A 302 Redirect is an HTTP response status code that indicates a page has been moved temporarily to a different URL. When a browser or crawler requests the original URL, the server responds with a 302 status and a new location, and the visitor is sent to that new page — but the original URL is expected to be restored and used again in the future.

The key distinction from a 301 (permanent) redirect is how search engines treat it: a 302 tells search engines to keep indexing the original URL and not to consolidate ranking signals onto the destination, since the move is meant to be short-lived. This makes 302s appropriate for use cases like A/B testing, temporary maintenance pages, geo-based redirects, or short-term promotional URLs — situations where the original URL still matters and should keep its equity.

A common and costly SEO mistake is using a 302 for what is actually a permanent change, such as a site migration or a URL structure overhaul. In that scenario, a 301 is the correct choice, because a 302 left in place for a permanent move can prevent link equity and rankings from properly transferring to the new URL.