302 302 Found (Temporary Redirect)
The requested resource is temporarily located at a different URL.
What Is This?
The HTTP 302 Found status code (often called a temporary redirect) indicates that the requested resource is temporarily located at a different URL. Unlike 301, the redirect is not permanent — browsers and search engines should continue to use the original URL for future requests. The temporary URL is provided in the Location response header.
Common Causes & Solutions
Common Cause
Temporary page maintenance or A/B testing
Common Cause
User redirection after login (post-redirect-get pattern)
Common Cause
Geolocation-based temporary redirection
Common Cause
Feature flag redirects for testing new pages
Use 302 for temporary redirects only
Never use 302 for permanent URL changes — that is what 301 is for. 302 tells search engines to keep indexing the original URL.
# Nginx temporary redirect
location /promo-page {
return 302 https://example.com/current-promo;
}
# Express.js
app.get('/old-temp', (req, res) => {
res.redirect(302, '/new-temp')
})Related Entries
More from this reference:
301 301 Moved Permanently
The requested resource has been permanently moved to a new URL.
304 304 Not Modified
The resource has not been modified since the last request, use the cached version.
307 307 Temporary Redirect
The resource is temporarily at a different URL — preserve the HTTP method.
308 308 Permanent Redirect
The resource has been permanently moved — preserve the HTTP method.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 302 pass SEO value?
Search engines typically do not pass PageRank through 302 redirects since the redirect is temporary. The original URL retains its ranking. Only 301 redirects transfer link equity.
When should I use 302 vs 307?
302 is the original temporary redirect and some clients may change POST to GET. 307 (Temporary Redirect) guarantees the HTTP method is preserved. Use 307 when you need to ensure the same method is used for the redirected request.