Definition
A 302 redirect is a temporary redirect: it sends visitors to another URL while signaling that the original URL should stay the one indexed.
302 redirect explained
Google groups 302, 303 and 307 as temporary redirects. For these, Googlebot follows the redirect, but the indexing pipeline doesn't use it as a signal that the target should be canonical. The original URL may stay in the index if other signals support it.
Temporary redirects make sense when the move really is temporary, for example:
- A product page sent to a holding page during a short stock-out or maintenance.
- A seasonal campaign URL that points somewhere different for a few weeks.
- Sending users to a login page or a regional version based on their session.
The common problem is using a 302 by accident for a permanent change. Many CMSs, plugins and frameworks default to 302, so a site migration or URL change can end up with temporary redirects everywhere. Search engines may eventually treat a long-standing 302 like a permanent one, but it adds uncertainty for no benefit. Check the status code of every redirect after any URL change.
Example
Your developer moves your blog from /news to /blog using a plugin that creates 302 redirects by default. A redirect check shows the temporary status, and switching them to 301s tells Google the move is permanent.
Why it matters
Using a 302 for a permanent move can slow down or confuse how search engines move rankings to the new URL.
Related service
301 Redirections
Redirect mapping, chain and loop clean-up so URL changes keep their rankings and links.
301 redirect management servicesSources
- Google Search Central: Redirects and Google Search (updated 14 Apr 2026)
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Related terms
- 301 redirectA 301 redirect is a permanent redirect: the server tells browsers and search engines that a URL has moved for good and sends them to the new address.
- Redirect chainA redirect chain is a series of redirects where URL A redirects to B, which redirects to C, and so on, instead of A going straight to the final URL.
- Site migrationA site migration is any major change to a website's platform, domain, URL structure or design that can affect how search engines crawl, index and rank it.
- Canonical tagA canonical tag is an HTML link element that tells search engines which URL is the preferred version of a page when similar or duplicate versions exist.