What Is a 301 Redirect?
A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect that sends users and search engines from one URL to another. The "301" refers to the HTTP status code that tells browsers and search engines that the page has permanently moved to a new location. It is the most important type of redirect for SEO because it passes most of the original page's link equity (ranking power) to the new URL.
When to Use a 301 Redirect
- Moving a page to a new URL — you changed the URL structure of a page
- Consolidating duplicate pages — merging multiple pages about the same topic into one
- Domain migration — moving from oldsite.com to newsite.com
- HTTP to HTTPS migration — redirecting all HTTP URLs to their HTTPS versions
- WWW to non-WWW (or vice versa) — canonicalising your domain
- Fixing broken URLs — redirecting old URLs that still receive traffic or have backlinks
301 vs 302 Redirects
| Type | Status Code | Meaning | Passes Link Equity? | Use When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301 | 301 | Permanent redirect | Yes (most) | The page has permanently moved |
| 302 | 302 | Temporary redirect | No (or limited) | The page is temporarily at a different URL |
| 307 | 307 | Temporary (preserves method) | No | Same as 302 for HTTP/2 |
| 308 | 308 | Permanent (preserves method) | Yes | Same as 301 for HTTP/2 |
How to Implement 301 Redirects
Apache (.htaccess)
Redirect 301 /old-page https://www.example.com/new-page
Nginx
location /old-page {
return 301 https://www.example.com/new-page;
}
WordPress
Use a plugin like Redirection or Yoast SEO Premium, or add rules to your .htaccess file.
Common 301 Redirect Mistakes
- Redirect chains — A redirects to B which redirects to C. Go directly from A to C
- Using 302 instead of 301 — search engines may not pass link equity
- Not redirecting all variants — HTTP, HTTPS, WWW, and non-WWW should all redirect to one canonical URL
- Redirecting to irrelevant pages — redirect to the closest matching content, not the homepage
Check your redirects with the RankNibbler redirect checker to make sure all four domain variants point to the right place.
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Last updated: March 2026