What Is a 301 Redirect?
A 301 redirect is a permanent HTTP status code that tells browsers and search engines a page has moved for good to a new URL. When a visitor or crawler requests the old address, the server responds with a 301 and forwards them to the new one. Search engines transfer nearly all ranking signals to the destination and eventually replace the old URL with the new one in their index. It is the standard, SEO-safe way to move or consolidate pages.
- Status code meaning
- 301 = Moved Permanently (HTTP/1.1 specification, RFC 9110)
- Ranking signals
- Google passes full PageRank through 301 redirects with no penalty (Google Search Central)
- Caching behavior
- Browsers cache 301s aggressively, so mistakes are sticky and hard to reverse (industry-typical)
- Common config
- Set in .htaccess, Nginx config, or a redirect plugin/CDN rule (industry-typical)
What is a 301 redirect used for? #
A 301 redirect permanently sends anyone requesting an old URL to a new one, and it is the workhorse of any site change that alters addresses. You use it when you change a page's URL, move to a new domain, switch from HTTP to HTTPS, merge two pages into one, or consolidate www and non-www versions of your site. Because the redirect is marked permanent, search engines update their index to the destination and pass along the accumulated ranking authority of the old page. This is what makes the 301 the SEO-safe choice: done correctly, you keep the rankings and backlinks you earned instead of starting from zero. Every project that runs through /services/website-migrations or /services/website-redesign depends on a carefully mapped set of 301s, because a redesign that changes URLs without them can erase years of search visibility overnight. The redirect is invisible to users beyond a brief address change, but decisive for search engines.
How does a 301 differ from a 302? #
The difference is permanence, and it changes how search engines behave. A 301 says moved permanently, so Google eventually drops the old URL, indexes the new one, and consolidates ranking signals onto the destination. A 302 says found, or moved temporarily, so Google keeps the original URL in its index and treats the move as short-lived, expecting the old page to return. Using the wrong one has real consequences. If you permanently move a page but use a 302, search engines may keep showing the old URL and be slow to transfer authority. If you use a 301 for a genuinely temporary change, you may struggle to restore the original later because both browsers and search engines cache the permanent signal. When in doubt about which applies to your situation, our /wiki/what-is-a-302-redirect entry lays out the temporary case in detail so you can match the code to your intent.
Do 301 redirects pass SEO value? #
Yes. Google has stated that 301 redirects pass full PageRank with no loss attributable to the redirect itself, which reversed older guidance that a small amount of authority evaporated in the hop. In practice this means a properly implemented 301 preserves the rankings, backlink equity, and topical signals of the old page and hands them to the destination. There are important caveats. The redirect should point to a closely relevant page, ideally the direct equivalent of the old one, because redirecting an old article to an unrelated homepage is often treated as a soft 404 and passes little value. Chains and loops erode the benefit and slow crawling. And the destination must return a healthy 200 status, not another redirect or an error. When we handle a /services/website-migrations project, every legacy URL is mapped one-to-one to its best modern equivalent so that authority lands where it belongs rather than pooling on a generic page.
How do you set up a 301 redirect? #
The method depends on your server and platform. On Apache servers you add a rule to the .htaccess file. On Nginx you use a return or rewrite directive in the server configuration. On WordPress, a redirect plugin or an SEO plugin's redirect manager writes the rules for you without touching server files, which is why sites built through /services/wordpress-development can manage redirects from the dashboard. Hosting platforms and CDNs such as Cloudflare also offer rule-based redirects at the edge, which are fast and centralized. Whatever the method, the pattern is the same: match the old path and respond with a 301 status pointing to the new URL. After adding a redirect, always test it with a browser's developer tools or an HTTP header checker to confirm it returns a single 301 and lands on a 200, not a chain of hops or an error page.
# Redirect one old page to a new URL
Redirect 301 /old-services.html /services/web-design/
# Redirect an entire old domain to a new one (preserving path)
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^olddomain\.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://www.newdomain.com/$1 [L,R=301]
# Force HTTPS site-wide
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]What is a redirect map and why does it matter? #
A redirect map is a spreadsheet that pairs every old URL with the single best new URL it should point to, and it is the backbone of any safe migration or redesign. Without one, teams take shortcuts, such as pointing every old page at the homepage, which throws away page-level rankings and often triggers soft 404 treatment. Building the map starts with a full crawl of the current site plus an export of every URL Google has indexed and every page that has earned backlinks. Each old URL is then matched to its closest modern equivalent, and only genuinely gone pages are allowed to 404. On large sites this is painstaking, but it is exactly where rankings are won or lost during a move. Our /services/website-redesign process treats the redirect map as a required deliverable rather than an afterthought, and we verify it post-launch with crawls that flag any old URL returning an unexpected status.
How do 301 redirects affect page speed and crawling? #
Every redirect adds a round trip: the browser requests the old URL, receives the 301, then requests the destination. A single hop is negligible, but chains of several redirects add measurable delay and waste crawl budget, since crawlers must follow each step. On large sites, thousands of unnecessary redirects can slow how quickly Google discovers new content. The fixes are straightforward. Always point a redirect directly at the final destination rather than through intermediate URLs, and periodically audit for chains that accumulate as a site evolves. Update internal links so they point to the live URL instead of relying on a redirect to catch them, which removes the hop entirely for your own navigation. Because redirects touch load time, they intersect with the work our /services/speed-optimization team does, and the broader case for fast pages is covered in /wiki/website-speed-guide. A lean redirect setup keeps both users and crawlers moving efficiently.
When should you not use a 301? #
A 301 is the wrong tool when the move is genuinely temporary, such as sending traffic to a holiday landing page for two weeks or routing users during brief maintenance, because browsers and search engines cache the permanent signal and may not switch back cleanly. In those cases a 302 is correct. A 301 is also wrong when the old content is simply gone with no equivalent replacement, because forcing a redirect to an unrelated page is treated as a soft 404 and helps no one. In that scenario let the URL return a 404 or 410 so search engines cleanly drop it. Finally, avoid redirecting across wildly different topics purely to preserve a link, since Google evaluates relevance and a mismatched redirect passes little value. Matching the response code to your true intent is a recurring theme in technical SEO, and our /tools/website-down-checker can help confirm what a URL is actually returning when you are unsure.
How do local businesses use 301 redirects? #
Local sites need 301s more often than owners realize. Rebranding from an old business name usually means a new domain, which requires redirecting every old page to its counterpart so hard-won local rankings survive. Merging multiple thin location pages into one strong page, cleaning up messy URLs left by a previous developer, or moving from a builder to a custom site all depend on redirects. Enforcing HTTPS and a single canonical hostname is a baseline every local site should have, and both are implemented with 301s. When a plumber or dentist redesigns, the danger is not the new look but the silent loss of the URLs that ranked for high-intent local searches, which is why teams behind /web-design-for-plumbers and /web-design-for-dentists treat redirect mapping as non-negotiable. Combined with strong /services/local-seo groundwork, a clean redirect strategy means a site change lifts visibility rather than resetting it.
FAQ
Does a 301 redirect hurt my rankings?
A correctly implemented 301 pointing to a relevant destination does not hurt rankings; Google passes full ranking signals through it. Temporary dips during a large migration are normal as Google recrawls and reindexes, but they recover. Damage happens only when redirects point to irrelevant pages, form chains, or leave old URLs erroring.
How long should I keep a 301 redirect in place?
Keep 301 redirects in place indefinitely, or at minimum a year, and preferably permanently if the old URLs have any backlinks. Search engines and browsers may hold the old URL for a long time, and external links never update. Removing a redirect too early breaks those links and returns visitors to a 404.
Can I redirect an old domain to a new one with 301s?
Yes. Redirecting an entire old domain to a new one with 301s, mapped page by page where possible, is the standard way to move a site while preserving rankings and backlinks. Use Search Console's change of address tool alongside the redirects to signal the move to Google clearly.
What is the difference between a 301 and a canonical tag?
A 301 physically forwards users and bots to a new URL and removes the old page from circulation. A canonical tag leaves both URLs accessible but tells search engines which one to index and credit. Use a 301 when the old page should disappear, and a canonical when both must stay reachable.
Do 301 redirects work for images and PDFs?
Yes. A 301 redirect operates at the URL level and works for any file type, including images, PDFs, and other documents. If you rename or relocate a downloadable file that has earned links or is referenced elsewhere, a 301 forwards requests to the new location and preserves access and any accumulated value.
Will a 301 redirect slow down my website?
A single 301 adds a tiny, usually imperceptible delay of one extra request. The problem is redirect chains, where several hops stack up and noticeably slow loading and crawling. Point each redirect directly at its final destination and update internal links to the live URL to keep performance clean.
Was this helpful?