The Difference Between 301 and 302 Redirects: Which One to Choose?

What is the difference between 301 and 302 redirect?
A 301 redirect means that the page has permanently moved to a new location. A 302 redirect means that the move is only temporary. Search engines need to figure out whether to keep the old page, or replace it with the one found at the new location.

Owners of websites and website developers frequently need to reroute traffic from one URL to another. This could be required for a number of reasons, including website restructure, domain name changes, or the merger of two websites. Redirects are necessary to keep the old pages’ SEO value while ensuring that users have a seamless browsing experience. The 301 and 302 redirects are two of the most used types of redirects. We will compare the two in this article and assist you in making the best decision for your website. What is a 301 redirect, exactly? The requested page has been moved to a new URL, and a 301 redirect is a permanent redirect that notifies visitors and search engines of the change. Almost all of the link juice, authority, and SEO worth from the old page is transferred to the new one using this form of redirect. When you want to permanently alter the URL structure of your website, 301 redirects are advised. Use a 301 redirect, for instance, when changing your domain name or switching from HTTP to HTTPS on your website. Users who attempt to visit the outdated URLs will be automatically routed to the updated ones as a result. What is a 302 redirect, exactly? A temporary redirect, known as a 302 redirect, notifies users and search engines that the requested page has been temporarily redirected to an other URL. A 302 redirect does not transfer the link juice, authority, or SEO value from the old page to the new one like a 301 redirect does. Instead, they lead people to the new URL while still keeping the old URL in the search engine’s index. When you need to temporarily reroute users—for example, during website maintenance or A/B testing—302 redirects are helpful. But you shouldn’t use them to modify your website’s URL structure permanently.

How do I change my URL to www?

It’s usual practice to redirect your website from non-www to www or vice versa in order to keep your URL structure constant. You must include the following code in your.htaccess file in order to redirect your website to www: RewriteRule (.*)

RewriteEngine On

RewriteCond%HTTP_HOST!www%HTTP_HOST/$1 http://www. [R=301,L]

This code instructs the server to determine whether the requested URL begins with www. If it doesn’t, the user is redirected to the same URL with the www prefix added. This is a 301 redirect, which is a permanent redirect, according to the [R=301,L] flag. Use the following code to change your website’s URL from www to non-www: RewriteEngine is enabled, and the HTTP_HOST variable is set to “www.”$ [NC] *

RewriteRule[R=301,L] http://%1/$1

In conclusion, selecting the appropriate sort of redirect is essential for keeping your website’s SEO value and giving users a seamless experience. Use a 301 redirect if you wish to change the URL structure of your website permanently. Use a 302 redirect if you need to temporarily reroute users. Additionally, by adding a few lines of code to your.htaccess file, you may easily redirect your website from non-www to www or vice versa.