What is a 301 Redirect? SEO Guide

Definition

A 301 redirect is an HTTP status code that permanently redirects a URL to a different address. When a browser or search engine crawler requests the original URL, the server responds with a 301 status and the new destination. The browser then automatically navigates to the new URL.

Unlike a 302 redirect (temporary), a 301 tells search engines that the move is permanent. This signals that they should transfer ranking signals — commonly called "link equity" or "link juice" — from the old URL to the new one.

When to use a 301 redirect

• URL structure changes — you've reorganized your site and pages have new paths.
• Domain migration — moving from one domain to another (e.g., old-site.com to new-site.com).
• HTTP to HTTPS — upgrading to a secure connection.
• Merging duplicate content — combining multiple pages about the same topic into one.
• Fixing broken links — redirecting removed pages to the most relevant existing page.
• Trailing slash normalization — ensuring /page and /page/ resolve to the same URL.

SEO implications

Google has confirmed that 301 redirects pass nearly all link equity to the destination URL. This makes them the recommended method for permanent URL changes. However, there are important nuances:

• Redirect chains — multiple 301 redirects in sequence (A → B → C) can dilute equity and slow page load. Keep chains to a minimum.
• Processing delay — it takes time for search engines to process 301 redirects and transfer rankings. Expect fluctuations during migration.
• Relevance matters — redirecting a page about "blue shoes" to a page about "red hats" passes link equity but may confuse users and search engines. Redirect to the most relevant page.

How to implement a 301 redirect

The implementation depends on your web server or platform:

• Apache — use Redirect 301 or RewriteRule in .htaccess.
• Nginx — use return 301 or rewrite in server configuration.
• WordPress — use a plugin like Redirection, or add rules to .htaccess.
• Cloudflare — use Page Rules or Bulk Redirects.
• Vercel / Netlify — configure in vercel.json or _redirects file.

How to check for redirect issues

Use the redirect checker tool to verify that your 301 redirects are working correctly. You can also run a full broken link scan to find pages on your site that redirect unexpectedly or form redirect chains.

If you're planning a website migration, check out our guide on handling broken links after a website migration for a comprehensive checklist.