Definition

A 301 redirect is the HTTP response status code 'Moved Permanently'. It tells browsers and search engines that the requested URL has permanently moved to a new URL specified in the response's `Location` header.

Google says it follows 301 redirects and, over time, treats the destination URL as the canonical one — passing along ranking signals from the old URL to the new. The closely related 302 status code signals a temporary move, in which case Google generally keeps the original URL in its index. Redirect chains (A → B → C) are followed but Google recommends keeping them short, ideally a single hop, because every extra hop adds latency and a chance of failure.

Examples

• Migrating to HTTPS

  A site moves from `http://` to `https://`. Every HTTP URL responds with a 301 redirect to its HTTPS counterpart so users and search engines land on the secure version, and Google consolidates ranking signals on the HTTPS URL over time.

• Renaming a URL

  A blog post at `/old-slug` is renamed to `/new-slug`. The webmaster adds a 301 from the old URL to the new one so existing backlinks and bookmarks keep working and search rankings transfer to the new address.

Sources

• Google Search Central — Redirects and Google Search

Related terms

• Canonical Tag
  An HTML element that tells search engines which URL is the master copy when the same or similar content exists at multiple addresses.
• Indexing
  The process by which a search engine analyses a fetched page and stores information about it so the page can later be returned in search results.

Where QueryCatch uses this

• SEO Audit
• Sitemap Optimisation