301 redirect
A permanent server-side redirect from a page's old address to its new one, which Google takes as a signal to show the new address in search results.
A 301 redirect sends anyone who asks for a page’s old address on to its new one. In Google’s words, the 301 and 308 status codes “mean that a page has permanently moved to a new location” (Google Search Central). It’s set up on the server, in its configuration files (such as .htaccess on Apache) or with server-side code.
Visitors generally can’t tell one kind of redirect from another. Google treats them differently: it takes a permanent redirect as a signal that the new address should be canonical, the one shown in search results, while a temporary redirect such as a 302 keeps the old page there. Google says a server-side redirect has the highest chance of being interpreted correctly, and when you change a page’s address in search results, it recommends a permanent server-side redirect whenever possible.
When to use one
Google lists these reasons to redirect:
- You’ve moved your site to a new domain.
- One page can be reached at several addresses. Pick one as the canonical and redirect the others to it.
- You’re merging two websites.
- You removed a page and want to send visitors to a new one.
Use a permanent redirect only when you’re sure it won’t be reverted. For a short-term change, such as a service that’s temporarily unavailable, Google suggests a temporary redirect.
What your platform may already do
“If you’re using a platform like Blogger or Shopify, the platform may already have built-in redirect solutions,” Google says, so search your platform’s help articles before you pay for a redirect app. After a move to a new domain, Google may keep showing the old addresses now and then, even once the new ones are indexed. Google calls this normal and says that as people get used to the new domain, the old addresses “will fade away without you doing anything.”
Related terms
Tools for it
Sources
Updated Oct 12, 2026.