What Is a 302 Status Code?

The target resource resides temporarily under a different URI. Since the redirection might be altered on occasion, the client ought to continue to use the effective request URI for future requests.

The server SHOULD generate a Location header field in the response containing a URI reference for the different URI. The user agent MAY use the Location field value for automatic redirection. The server’s response payload usually contains a short hypertext note with a hyperlink to the different URI(s).

Note: For historical reasons, a user agent MAY change the request method from POST to GET for the subsequent request. If this behavior is undesired, the 307 Temporary Redirect status code can be used instead.

• Source: RFC7231 Section 6.4.3

302 CODE REFERENCES

Rails HTTP Status Symbol :found

Go HTTP Status Constant http.StatusFound

Symfony HTTP Status Constant Response::HTTP_FOUND

Python2 HTTP Status Constant httplib.FOUND

Python3+ HTTP Status Constant http.client.FOUND

Python3.5+ HTTP Status Constant http.HTTPStatus.FOUND

.NET HttpStatusCode.Found

Rust http::StatusCode::FOUND

Java java.net.HttpURLConnection.HTTP_MOVED_TEMP

Apache HttpComponents Core org.apache.hc.core5.http.HttpStatus.SC_MOVED_TEMPORARILY

Angular @angular/common/http/HttpStatusCode.Found

302 status code example

Here is an example of a 302 status code:

Request

GET /example HTTP/1.1
Host: www.example.com

Response

HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Location: https://www.example.com/new-location

This response indicates that the requested resource has been temporarily moved to a new location.

How to fix a 302 status code

Here are some ways to fix a 302 status code:

• Use a 301 redirect: If the intention is to permanently redirect a user to a new page, then it is better to use a 301 redirect instead of a 302. This will tell search engines that the old page has permanently moved to a new location, and they should update their index accordingly.
• Correct the redirect destination: Check to make sure that the redirect destination URL is correct and functional. If the URL is incorrect or broken, it can result in a 302 status code.
• Remove unnecessary redirects: If a website has too many redirects, it can lead to a poor user experience and slow down the page load time. To fix this, try to remove any unnecessary redirects and simplify the website’s redirect structure.
• Update links: If external links are pointing to pages with a 302 status code, it’s a good idea to update those links to point directly to the correct page instead of relying on a redirect.
• Check server settings: Sometimes, a 302 status code can be caused by incorrect server settings. It’s important to check server settings to ensure that redirects are set up correctly.

By taking these steps, you can help fix a 302 status code and ensure that your website is functioning properly for both users and search engines.

What is the difference between a 302 status code and a 200 status code?

A 302 status code indicates that the requested resource has been temporarily moved to a new location. This is often used for redirects when a resource is temporarily unavailable or has been moved to a different location. In contrast, a 200 status code indicates that the request has been successful and the server is returning the requested resource.

In other words, a 302 status code is used for temporary redirects, while a 200 status code is used for successful requests that return the requested content.

Does a 302 status code affect SEO?

A 302 status code can potentially have an impact on SEO, depending on how it is used.

If a 302 redirect is used to temporarily redirect a page to a different URL, search engines will typically update their index to reflect the new URL. However, if the redirect is not properly configured or the redirection is not temporary, it can result in duplicate content, broken links, or other issues that can negatively impact SEO.

In general, it is recommended to use a 301 permanent redirect instead of a 302 temporary redirect when redirecting a page to a new URL.

This will signal to search engines that the redirect is permanent and help ensure that any SEO value from the original page is passed on to the new URL. If a 302 redirect is necessary, it should be used sparingly and with care to ensure that it does not negatively impact the website’s SEO.

Additional resources

• Learn about web development
• Learn about SEO
• Web development services from WebFX
• SEO services from WebFX
• MDN Web Docs
• W3Schools

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