What Is a 302 Redirect?
A 302 redirect is an HTTP status code indicating a page has temporarily moved to a different URL. Unlike a 301 (permanent), a 302 tells search engines to keep the original URL in their index because the page will return. Search engines do not transfer link equity through 302 redirects in the same way as 301s.
Why 302 vs 301 Matters
Using a 302 when you mean 301 is one of the most common SEO mistakes. If a page has permanently moved but you use a 302, search engines may keep the old URL indexed and not transfer link equity to the new URL. Use 302 only for genuinely temporary situations: A/B tests, maintenance pages, or geolocation-based redirects.
How to Choose the Right Redirect
If the move is permanent, use 301. If truly temporary (the old URL will return), use 302. Audit your redirects with CrawlBeast to identify 302 redirects that should be 301s — a common issue that silently hurts SEO performance.
📖 Related Article: Finding and Fixing Redirect Chains — Read our in-depth guide for practical examples and advanced techniques.
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