Glossary / Redirect
What is Redirect?
A redirect sends anyone who visits one web address to another one automatically. It is how you move or retire a page without breaking every old link.
Two kinds matter. A 301 is permanent and tells search engines to move the old page's credit to the new address. A 302 is temporary and tells them to keep the old one. Using the wrong one is a common and expensive mistake.
You need redirects any time an address changes: a redesign, two posts merged into one, a product retired, a move to a new domain. Without them, every old link and saved bookmark lands on an error page.
Keep the chains short. A redirect pointing at another redirect pointing at a third wastes crawl time and slows the visitor down. Point old addresses straight at the final destination.
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