# 301 redirect

> A 301 redirect is a server response that automatically sends visitors and search engines from an old address to the new one when a page has moved for good. The old page's standing in search passes to the new address. It is the step most often forgotten in a redesign.

- URL: https://radkod.com/en/glossary/301-redirect
- Publisher: RadKod
- Published: 2026-07-30

## What is a 301 redirect?

A 301 redirect is the server saying "this page has moved permanently to this address". 301 is the HTTP status code for that answer. The browser takes the visitor to the new address on its own, and search engines index the new address in place of the old one.

Here is an everyday case. On your old site, a service page lived at /our-services/painting. It has ranked well on Google for years and other sites link to it. On the new site the address is /services/painting. Without a redirect, everyone who arrives at the old address sees a "page not found" error, and Google eventually drops the page. With a 301 redirect, visitors land on the new page and most of the old page's standing is kept.

## How does it work?

Before a redesign, every address on the old site is exported. Each one is matched to its closest page on the new site. That list becomes redirect rules on the server or in the application. After launch, the old addresses are tested one by one and Search Console error reports are watched. Temporary moves use a 302. For a permanent change, 301 is the right code. Redirects should not chain: rather than A to B to C, A should go straight to C.

We walk through every step in [redesign without losing SEO](/en/blog/redesign-without-losing-seo). If the problem is duplicate addresses rather than a move, use a [canonical URL](/en/glossary/canonical-url). On every site we rebuild, the redirect list is an item in the definition of done, as described on our [web design](/en/services/web-design) page.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect?

A 301 signals a permanent move and a 302 a temporary one. If the address has changed for good, use 301. With a 302, search engines may keep treating the old address as the main one for a while.

### How long should redirects stay in place?

As long as possible. If other sites link to old addresses, traffic can keep arriving for years. Leave redirects in place unless you have a strong reason to remove them.

### Can I just redirect all old pages to the home page?

No. Each old address should go to the new page closest in content. Sending everything to the home page confuses visitors, and search engines often treat it like a missing page.

## Sources

- [Redirects and Google Search](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/301-redirects), Google Search Central