SEO Glossary · Technical SEO

What Is 301 Redirect?

A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect that sends users and search engines from one URL to another and passes most of the original page's ranking signals to the new URL. It is the correct choice whenever you permanently move or rename a page.

301 vs 302 redirects

Use a 301 for permanent changes - moved pages, renamed URLs, site migrations - so link equity transfers. Use a 302 only when the move is genuinely temporary and the original URL will return. Mistakenly using a 302 for a permanent move is a common SEO error that prevents ranking signals from passing.

Pro tip
Avoid redirect chains (A to B to C). Point every old URL directly to the final destination so you do not leak ranking signal at each hop.
Key takeaways
A 301 is a permanent redirect that passes ranking signals.
Use 301 for moved or renamed pages; 302 only for temporary moves.
A wrong 302 stops link equity from passing - a common error.
Redirects move users; canonicals are just a hint to engines.

Put it into practice with Soro

Understanding 301 redirect is one thing - applying it across every page is another. Soro automates SEO content end to end, researching keywords and publishing optimised articles so your site ranks on Google and gets cited by AI. See how Soro works.

Frequently asked questions

Does a 301 redirect pass SEO value?

Yes. A 301 passes the large majority of the original page's ranking signals to the destination URL, which is why it is preferred for permanent moves.

What is the difference between a 301 and a canonical?

A 301 physically sends users to a new URL; a canonical leaves the page accessible but tells search engines which version to index.

Keep learning

Canonical URLA canonical URL is the version of a page that you designate as the preferred, master copy when the same or similar content is reachable at multiple URLs.URL SlugA URL slug is the human-readable part of a URL that identifies a specific page, after the domain and folders.Indexing (in SEO)Indexing is the process where a search engine analyses a crawled page and stores it in its index - the massive database it draws on to answer searches..htaccess Redirect GeneratorBuild 301 redirect rules
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