Redirects not only simplify site navigation but also affect its visibility in search engines. The ability to choose the right type of redirect and configure it is a skill that allows SEO specialists to flexibly manage a web resource and increase its performance. After all, properly configured redirects will help to preserve links to the site, not lose visitors, improve ranking in search results, and gain a competitive advantage.
What is a redirect and what are its features? In this article, we have collected everything you need.
What is a redirect
A redirect is a redirection of a user from one URL to another. It happens at the server level, so the user does not notice anything.
Redirects are used for various purposes, for example, if a site moves to a new domain or hosting or switches to HTTPS. Also, if a page is removed from the site, a redirect will redirect users to another page. Redirects are also used to redirect users to different versions of the site, for example, mobile or desktop, to different language versions, or to versions of the site for a specific region.
When a user tries to go to the URL that is being redirected, the web server receives a request and checks whether a redirect exists for this address. If a redirect exists, the web server redirects the user to the new URL.
Redirects can be temporary, for example, for technical work, or permanent, when the page is moved on an ongoing basis.
There are different types of redirects, for example, 301 and 302 redirects, and 303, and 307 redirects. We will discuss the features of these and other redirects later.
The most commonly used types of redirects
Web developers and SEO specialists use different types of redirects to manage traffic on a website. There are several types of redirects that differ in the server response code. An incorrectly chosen redirect can create problems for site promotion, so it is important to understand which redirect is used and when.
301 redirect
This is an HTTP status that indicates that a page or resource has been permanently moved to another URL. When you set up a 301 redirect for a specific page, browsers and search engines automatically redirect users and update their indexes to reflect the new address.
301 redirects are used most often because they transfer the entire control profile from the redirected page to the new one - you don't lose backlinks.
Examples of using 301 redirects:
moving a site to a new domain or subdomain;
removing a page from a site;
changing the page URL;
change the structure of the site.
Advantages of using 301 redirects:
preserving the link profile;
improving search engine rankings;
improving the user experience.
Disadvantages of using 301 redirects:
may lead to loss of referral traffic if the content of the landing page contains other information;
A large number of 301 redirects can also affect the performance of the site.
302 redirect
This is a temporary redirect, the redirect code indicates that the requested resource is temporarily only available at a different URL. 302 redirects do not transfer the entire control profile from the redirected page to the new page.
Examples of using 302 redirects:
redirecting to a page that is temporarily moved, for example, during technical work;
redirecting to a page for authorized users only;
redirecting to a page that is only available in a certain country or region.
After the language law came into force in Ukraine, the 302 redirect became one of the tools for its implementation. The approach to solving this issue, especially for sites with history, requires care and a professional approach. You can contact our specialists to implement the requirements of the law in a technically correct and safe way for your site.
302 vs 301, or when to set up a 302 redirect:
You want to test a new page without affecting the site's ranking;
You have seasonal offers or promotions on individual pages, after the expiration of which users will have to return to the main page of your site;
if you have pages available by subscription.
If the question still remains: 301 or 302 redirects, it is important to remember that although a temporary 302 redirect directs traffic to a new URL, the link count is not transferred, and the URL of the page from which you are setting up the redirect remains in the search index.
303 redirect
A temporary redirect of a page that indicates that the redirected page can be found at a different URL. 303 redirects are used when the user is advised to go to another page, but not necessarily.
Examples of using 303 redirects:
redirecting the user to the search results page after entering a query;
redirecting the user to the payment page after adding an item to the cart;
redirecting the user to the confirmation page after registering.
Benefits of using 303 redirects:
improves user experience;
can help increase conversion.
Disadvantages of using 303 redirects:
does not transfer the entire control profile from the redirected page to the new page.
The main difference between a 303 redirect and a 301 is that a 303 redirect, like a 302, is temporary and suitable for exceptional purposes.
304 redirect
304 redirect is an HTTP status that indicates that the resource is no longer available. Changed since the last request. When the client side (browser) makes a request to the server and the request header indicates that the client already has the latest version of the resource, the server may send a 304 status instead of the full content of the resource.
Examples of using 304 redirects:
redirect to a cached page;
redirect to cached images;
redirect to a cached CSS or JavaScript file.
Benefits of using 304 redirects:
reduces server load;
improves performance website.
This status is especially important for efficient caching and reducing server load. It allows the client to use the cached version of the resource if it is up-to-date, instead of retrieving the full content from the server each time.
305 redirect
This is a temporary redirect that indicates that the page is only accessible through a proxy server. The HTTP status 305 "Use Proxy" has limited practical use.
Let's say you have an internal network with limited access to the Internet through a proxy server. You want all client requests for a specific resource, such as an external web page, to be handled through this proxy.
When a client tries to access this resource, you can send it an HTTP status code of 305 "Use Proxy" and specify the URL of the proxy server through which the request should be handled. This will force the client to redirect its request to the specified proxy server.
However, this approach is outdated, as modern proxying and caching techniques handle requests and responses more efficiently. Therefore, it is better to avoid using 305 redirects.
306 redirect
In fact, this status is not widely used and is often not supported by most modern web technologies, browsers, and applications.
Initially, HTTP status 306 (Switch Proxy) was proposed as a way to warn browser clients about the need to change the proxy server. However, it has never been widely adopted and is rarely used.
307 redirect
This redirect indicates that the requested resource is temporarily available only at a different URL, and is functionally similar to a 302 redirect, but without its ambiguities.
Examples of 307 redirect usage:
redirecting the user to the login page after the session ends, for example, due to inactivity;
protecting against resubmission of a form by redirecting the user to another page after clicking the Submit button;
conducting A/B testing, when some users are temporarily shown an alternative version of the page.
Advantages of using 307 redirects:
improves user experience;
does not lead to long-term consequences, since it does not transfer link weight;
Disadvantages of using 307 redirects:
additional load on the server.
People often have a misunderstanding about the difference between 301 vs 307 redirects. The main difference is that 307 redirect is temporary, and 301 is permanent. According to the principle of operation, 307 redirect is still closer to temporary redirects with the code 302, 303, 308.
308 redirect
Means that the new URL is the main and permanent location of the resource, the redirected page should be displayed in the same browser window.
An important difference from the 301 redirect is that the 308 redirect code indicates a permanent move, but preserves the request method. This means that if the original request was a POST request (if we had a POST request, for example, we were submitting data from a form), then the new request should also be a POST request to the new URL. The new location says, "Yes, you've moved, but send your data (POST), not GET like before." It's like when you have a new address, but the house keys are also there.
Status 308 allows you to save important data sent to the server and send it to the new server in case of moving.
Examples of using 308 redirects:
redirecting to pages after a domain change while preserving the request method;
protecting against changing the request method in cases where it is critical, for example, for API interfaces;
to guarantee that all requests to the site will be via HTTPS if a resource is updated from obsolete HTTP.
Advantages of using 308 redirects:
passes the entire referrer profile from the redirected page to the new page;
does not change the request method.
Disadvantages of using 308 redirects:
Additional server load.
Redirects can be configured using various methods, such as using a .htaccess file, web server settings, or through CMS.
Basic redirects in .htaccess that you should know about
The .htaccess file is a configuration file used by Apache-based web servers. In this file, you can configure various settings, including redirects that redirect users from one URL to another.
.htaccess is usually located in the root folder of a website. To access it, you need to go to an FTP client and connect to your web hosting. Then you need to go to the root folder of your website and open the .htaccess file.
How to set up a redirect - basic redirect options that are configured in the .htaccess file:
Redirecting a site from www to non-www:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.example\.com$
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://example.com/$1 [R=301]
This redirect will redirect users from the URL www.example.com to the URL example.com.
Redirecting on a site from http to https:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}/$1 [R=301]
The redirect will redirect users from an HTTP connection to HTTPS.
Intersite redirect, or page move:
RewriteRule ^old-page.html http://example.com/new-page.html [R=301]
This redirect will redirect users from the URL old-page.html to the URL new-page.html. Setting up 301 redirects indicates that it is a permanent redirect.
Correcting URL errors:
RewriteRule ^error-404.html http://example.com/ [R=301]
The redirect redirects from the URL error-404.html to the home page of the site. The redirect code 301 indicates that this is a permanent redirect.
Redirect to another page:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^old-page.html new-page.html [R=301]
This redirect will redirect users from the URL old-page.html to the URL new-page.html.
Where to check redirects on a site
How to find a redirect on a site? One of the popular ways to check redirects among SEO specialists is to use special tools. Among the popular ones is the Screaming Frog SEO Spider crawler.
To check redirects using Screaming Frog, you need to:
Paste the link to the site in the appropriate field (1) and click Start (2).
Wait until the site is crawled - the Crawl bar should be 100% full
On the Overview tab, find the Internal section. In the list provided, look for Internal Redirection (3xx) and click on this line
In the window on the left you will see a list of all redirects that are already configured on your site and their status codes.
Screaming Frog provides information about all redirects, including:
The URL to which users will be redirected;
The code used to redirect users;
The redirect status;
The number of redirects to this page.
Checking your site's redirects is useful because it allows you to make sure that all redirects on your website are working correctly and are taking users to the right pages.
Instead of conclusions
SEO specialists in practice most often use 301, 302, and 307 redirects to solve certain tasks. If you are not completely sure what type of redirects you need to solve the tasks on your site - contact our promotion team. We will not only optimize your site for the search engine but also make it as user-friendly as possible and ensure its correct operation, in particular, we will configure the necessary redirects.
