What Is a 302 Redirect?

March 9, 2026

Definition

A 302 redirect is a temporary HTTP status code that sends users and search engines from one URL to another without signaling a permanent move. You’ll see 302 redirects in SEO when sites temporarily reroute traffic during tests, maintenance, or short-term campaign changes. In practice, Google may keep the original URL indexed and pass less ranking value to the target than with a 301.

How Search Engines Process 302 Redirects

Search engines interpret a 302 redirect through HTTP response signals and contextual clues about whether the move looks temporary or lasting.

Crawlers read the 302 status, then evaluate repeated observations like redirect stability, duration, and the consistency of the destination URL. They also compare canonical tags, internal links, sitemaps, and content similarity to decide which URL to treat as primary.

These combined signals guide whether indexing centers on the source URL or shifts toward the target.

How 302 Redirects Affect SEO Growth

Used well, a 302 redirect lets teams protect organic performance while making short-lived URL changes, keeping brand and analytics continuity intact. It can reduce the risk of sending long-term relocation signals that might otherwise reshape indexing and page-level authority distribution.

Growth teams, SEO leads, and engineers benefit most when temporary moves stay clearly temporary, because rankings and traffic attribution tend to remain anchored to the original URL. When it’s applied correctly, reporting stays cleaner, experiments create fewer lasting side effects, and recovery after rollbacks is typically faster.

When Should You Use a 302 Redirect?

After understanding why temporary redirects affect indexing signals, the next step is applying a 302 redirect in everyday site operations. Teams use it to route visitors during short-lived changes while keeping the original URL as the primary reference.

Common uses include A-B tests, brief maintenance windows, geo-routing experiments, or campaign pages that will revert. A 302 redirect fits when the source URL is expected to return soon, and when internal links, canonicals, and sitemaps continue pointing to the original location.

FAQs About 302 Redirect

Does a 302 redirect pass link equity?

It can pass some signals, but equity transfer is less consistent than permanent redirects, especially when the redirect remains in place for months.

Can a long-term 302 become treated permanent?

Yes, persistent 302 patterns may be reinterpreted, leading search engines to shift canonical and indexing toward the destination over time.

Should internal links point to redirected URLs?

Usually no; linking to the destination reduces dilution and crawl churn, helping search engines consolidate signals faster, particularly on large sites.