HTTP 302 Found

What does HTTP 302 mean?

The resource is temporarily at a different URL, given in the Location header. Historically browsers changed POST to GET when following a 302, which is why 303 and 307 were added to make the intended behaviour explicit. Many frameworks still use 302 as their default redirect.

3xx Redirection: The client must take another step — usually follow the URL in the Location header — to complete the request.

When you see 302

• A login or language redirect.
• A temporary promotion or A/B test.
• A framework’s default redirect() call.

Best practices

• Use 301 or 308 if the move is permanent.
• Use 303 after a form submission and 307 when the method must be preserved.

302 and SEO

Search engines keep the original URL indexed for a temporary redirect. A long-lived 302 is usually treated like a 301 eventually, but it is better to be explicit.

Example response

HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Location: https://example.com/login

Related status codes

• 301 Moved Permanently — The resource has a new permanent URL, given in the Location header.
• 303 See Other — The client should fetch a different URL with GET.
• 307 Temporary Redirect — Temporary redirect that keeps the request method and body.
• 308 Permanent Redirect — Permanent redirect that keeps the request method and body.

Check which status code a URL returns with the HTTP header checker, or trace a redirect chain with the redirect checker.