Explainers

Clear explanations of redirect concepts, status codes, and how they affect your site.

Start with the pillar guide: The Complete HTTP Redirect Guide

What Is a 301 Error? (Spoiler: It's Not Actually an Error)

Why people call it a '301 error' even though it's a redirect, not an error. When 301s cause real problems, how to check them, and when to worry vs when it's normal.

HTTP 301 Moved Permanently: What It Means and When Servers Use It

A deep dive into the HTTP 301 status code: what it means technically, how browsers and search engines handle it, caching behavior, common use cases, and implementation details.

301 vs 302 Redirects: What's the Difference?

Permanent vs temporary redirects explained: when to use each, SEO implications, how search engines handle them differently, and common mistakes that cost you rankings.

303 See Other: When Servers Use This Redirect

What the 303 See Other status code means, how it always changes the request method to GET, the Post/Redirect/Get pattern, and how 303 differs from 302 and 307.

307 Temporary Redirect Explained

What the HTTP 307 Temporary Redirect status code means, how it differs from 302 by preserving the request method, HSTS internal 307s, and when to use 307 vs 302.

308 Permanent Redirect: The Modern Alternative to 301

What the 308 Permanent Redirect status code is, how it differs from 301 by preserving the HTTP method, when to use it for APIs and POST-heavy applications, and browser support details.

410 Gone vs 404 Not Found: When to Use Each

The difference between HTTP 410 Gone and 404 Not Found, when to use each status code, how Google treats them differently, and when you should redirect instead.

Do 301 Redirects Hurt SEO? Myths vs Reality

The long-standing myth that 301 redirects lose 15% of PageRank is wrong. Here is what actually happens, when 301s cause problems, and when they are perfectly fine.

Do Redirects Pass Link Equity/PageRank?

Do 301 and 302 redirects pass link equity and PageRank? The history of PageRank dampening through redirects, the 2016 change, and how redirect chains affect link equity today.

Famous Redirect Failures and SEO Disasters

Real-world redirect failures during site migrations: companies that lost massive organic traffic from botched redirects. Lessons learned about redirect planning and execution.

How Long Do 301 Redirects Last?

How long 301 redirects last in browsers, search engines, and CDN caches. Google's recommendation on keeping them indefinitely, what happens when you remove them, and how to clear cached 301s.

How Many Redirects Is Too Many?

How many redirect hops is too many? Google follows up to 10, browsers allow 20, but the practical limit is lower. Here is the performance cost per hop and guidelines for keeping chains short.

HTML Meta Refresh Redirect: Syntax and When to Use

How the HTML meta refresh redirect works, the correct syntax, how search engines treat it, when it makes sense, and when server-side redirects are the better choice.

HTTP Redirect Status Codes: 301, 302, 307, 308

Comprehensive reference for all HTTP redirect status codes: 301 Moved Permanently, 302 Found, 303 See Other, 307 Temporary Redirect, 308 Permanent Redirect. When to use each and browser behavior differences.

HTTP to HTTPS Redirects: The Complete Guide

Complete guide to migrating from HTTP to HTTPS: server configuration, redirect implementation, mixed content issues, HSTS, and SEO considerations for a smooth transition.

Meta Refresh and JavaScript Redirects Explained

How meta refresh and JavaScript redirects work, when they're appropriate (rarely), SEO implications, and why server-side redirects are almost always the better choice.

Redirect Chains Explained

How redirect chains form, why they're bad for SEO and performance, how to detect them, and how to fix them by pointing all redirects directly to the final destination.

What Is a Redirect? A Plain-English Guide

A beginner-friendly explanation of what a redirect is, why websites use them, what happens behind the scenes, and what can go wrong when redirects are misconfigured.

Redirect Monitoring Explained

What redirect monitoring is, why you need it, and how it works. Beyond one-time checks: continuous monitoring for redirect chain changes, broken redirects, and unexpected redirect behavior.

301 Redirect SEO Penalty: Myth or Reality?

The 301 redirect SEO penalty is a myth that will not die. Here is why the claim is wrong, what Google actually said, when redirects genuinely do hurt rankings, and what the SEO community confused.

Redirect vs Canonical Tag: Which to Use

When to use a redirect vs a canonical tag for duplicate content. Covers the key differences, common scenarios, mistakes, and how to use both together.

Redirect vs URL Rewrite: What's the Difference?

The difference between a redirect and a URL rewrite: how each works, when to use one over the other, Apache and Nginx examples, performance considerations, and SEO impact.

URL Forwarding Explained: Domain, Path, and Masked Forwards

What URL forwarding is, the three types (domain, path, and masked forwarding), how each works technically, SEO implications, and when to use forwarding vs hosting.

What Happens When Redirects Break

The full impact of broken redirects: 404 errors, lost SEO equity, broken user journeys, and lost revenue. Real consequences with timelines for detection and recovery.

What Is a 302 Redirect? When to Use Temporary Redirects

What the HTTP 302 status code means, how browsers and search engines handle temporary redirects, when to use 302 vs 301, and the difference between 302 and 307.

What Is a Canonical Redirect and Why It Matters for SEO

What a canonical redirect is, when to use one instead of a canonical tag, how it affects SEO, and step-by-step implementation for common web servers.

What Is a Redirect Loop?

How redirect loops happen, common causes like circular .htaccess rules and HTTP/HTTPS conflicts, how to diagnose them, and step-by-step instructions to fix them.

What Is an Open Redirect?

How open redirect vulnerabilities work, why they're dangerous for phishing and credential theft, how to find them, and how to prevent them. OWASP classification and real-world examples.

Why One-Time Redirect Checks Aren't Enough

Why redirect configurations drift over time due to CMS updates, plugin changes, CDN settings, and server migrations. The case for continuous redirect monitoring over manual spot-checks.