What is the Status Code: 302 Found?

You're browsing your favorite online store. You click on a banner for a "Weekend Flash Sale," and you're seamlessly taken to a special sale page. Monday rolls around, and you find the same link in your browser history and click it again. This time, you're taken back to the site's homepage. The sale is over, and the temporary detour has been removed.

This smooth, temporary redirection is the classic use case for one of HTTP's most common and often misunderstood status codes: 302 Found.

In other words, when a client (like a browser or API consumer) sees a 302, it means:

"The resource you're looking for is available, but only at a different location for now. Don't treat this as permanent."

Unlike its decisive cousin 301 Moved Permanently, which is a permanent change of address, the 302 status code is a temporary detour. It's the server's way of saying, "What you're looking for isn't here right now. But I've found it for you over at this other location for the time being. Please keep using the original URL in the future."

It's the digital equivalent of a "Road Closed, Use Detour" sign. The road isn't gone forever; it's just temporarily inaccessible, and you're expected to return to the main route once the construction is complete.

If you're a developer working on web applications, understanding the nuance between a 302 and a 301 is crucial for both SEO and providing the right user experience.

In this blog post, we'll unpack the 302 Found status code, explain how it works, when to use it, how it affects SEO and user experience, and how developers can implement it correctly.

If you want to test how your APIs or applications handle redirects like 302, you don’t have to spin up a complex backend. Instead, you can use Apidog. Apidog lets you mock APIs, simulate HTTP responses (including 302), and test client behavior with just a few clicks, helping you build better, smoother user experiences. Best of all, you can download it for free and start experimenting today.

Now, let's roll up our sleeves and unpack everything you need to know about HTTP status code 302 Found.

What Is HTTP Status Code 302 Found?

HTTP status code 302 Found is a redirection response indicating that the resource the client requested has been temporarily moved to a different URI.

Here’s what a typical 302 response looks like:

HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Location: <https://example.com/temporary-location>

This tells the client (browser, API, or script) to make another request to the URL in the Location header.

Unlike the 301 Moved Permanently status where the resource's new location is permanent, the 302 status tells the client: "The resource you want is temporarily available somewhere else, but continue to use the original URI for future requests."

It means the server is effectively saying: "Check this other place for now, but don’t update any bookmarks or links."

The History of 302 and Why It Exists

Originally, in HTTP/1.0, the 302 code meant "Moved Temporarily." However, its implementation across different browsers was inconsistent. Some browsers treated 302 like a GET redirect, even if the original request was a POST.

To fix this confusion, newer status codes were introduced:

• 303 See Other → explicitly tells the client to use GET.
• 307 Temporary Redirect → keeps the HTTP method (POST stays POST).

Still, 302 stuck around and remains widely used in both websites and APIs.

How It Works: The Browser's Journey

The user experience of a 302 is identical to a 301 from a browser's perspective.

1. You Click a Link: You click a link: https://example.com/main-page.
2. The Request: Your browser sends a request to the server.
3. The 302 Response: The server responds with 302 Found and a Location: <https://example.com/temp-page> header.
4. The Automatic Redirect: Your browser sees the 302 status and the Location header. It immediately and automatically makes a new GET request to the temporary URL.
5. The Final Destination: The server responds to the new request with a 200 OK and the content.
6. The Browser Updates the Address Bar: Your browser's address bar updates to show the temporary URL.

The user gets to the content seamlessly. The difference is what happens behind the scenes with search engines and caching. So, in simple terms, a 302 redirect is like a detour sign on the internet. You’ll eventually get to your destination, but you’re being told to temporarily use another route.

This process is usually automatic in modern browsers, so most users don’t see it explicitly.

When Should You Use 302 Found?

302 Found is ideal for situations such as:

• Temporary maintenance: Redirect users to a temporary page while the main site or resource is down.
• A/B testing: Serve different versions of a page without changing the permanent URL.
• Session-based redirects: Redirect users based on login state or other session factors.
• Geolocation redirects: Send users temporarily to location-specific content.

By using 302 correctly, you can maintain SEO integrity, since search engines typically treat 302 redirects as temporary and don’t update the indexed URL.

The Critical Nuance: 302 vs. 301

This is the most important distinction for any web professional to understand. The difference is all about intent and semantics.

The SEO Consequences: A Classic Mistake

Using a 302 when you mean a 301 is a common and costly SEO error.

• The Scenario: You permanently move your /services page to /offerings. But you accidentally set up a 302 redirect.
• The Result: Other sites link to /services. Googlebot follows the 302 and finds the content at /offerings. However, because the 302 says "this is temporary," Google decides to keep /services in its index and does not transfer the ranking power from the backlinks to the new /offerings page.
• The Disaster: Your new /offerings page struggles to rank because it has no authority. Your old /services page might still be in Google's index but returns a redirect, hurting its ranking. You've effectively diluted your own SEO power.

The Golden Rule: If the move is permanent, always use a 301. Only use a 302 if the move is genuinely temporary.

Common (and Correct) Use Cases for 302 Found

So when should you use a 302? Here are the perfect scenarios:

1. A/B Testing or Multivariate Testing: You want to send 50% of your users to Version A of a page and 50% to Version B. You would have your root URL (e.g., /product) return a 302 Redirect to either /product?test=a or /product?test=b. This is temporary for the duration of the test.
2. Geographic or Conditional Redirects: Redirecting users based on their location (e.g., to a country-specific site) or language. The redirect is conditional and temporary; if the user changes their language preference, they should be able to return to the original URL.
3. Short-Term Promotions & Events: Like the flash sale example. The sale page is temporary. When the sale is over, requests to the promotion's original URL should stop redirecting and might eventually return a 404 or show a "Sale Ended" message.
4. Post-Login Redirects: After a user logs in, it's common to 302 redirect them to the page they were originally trying to access. This is a temporary, situational redirect.
5. Handling Unavailable Content: If a page is temporarily down for maintenance, you might 302 redirect it to a "Be Right Back" status page, with the intention of removing the redirect once the main page is restored.

Real-World Examples of 302 Found

Example 1: Login Redirect

You try to access a protected resource (/profile). Since you’re not logged in, the server responds with:

HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Location: /login

The client goes to /login, and after successful authentication, it may redirect back to /profile.

Example 2: API Rate Limiting

If an API temporarily moves traffic to a backup server, it may issue:

HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Location: <https://backup.api.example.com>

Example 3: A/B Testing in Marketing

Marketers often use 302 redirects to send different users to different versions of a page for testing purposes.

The Modern, Stricter Siblings: 303 and 307

The original 302 specification had an ambiguity: it didn't dictate what should happen to the HTTP method (e.g., POST, GET) during the redirect. This led to inconsistencies in how browsers behaved.

To solve this, two new status codes were introduced:

• 303 See Other: Explicitly tells the client to use a GET request for the subsequent redirect, regardless of the original method. This is perfect for preventing duplicate form submissions. You POST your form data to /process, and the server responds with 303 See Other and a Location: /success header. The browser makes a GET request to /success, preventing a refresh from re-submitting the form.
• 307 Temporary Redirect: Explicitly tells the client to use the exact same method (POST, GET, etc.) for the subsequent request. This is the true, strict, modern equivalent of the original 302 intent.

In modern development, 303 and 307 are often preferred over 302 because their behavior is unambiguous and standardized.

How Does 302 Affect SEO and User Experience?

• SEO: Since 302 indicates temporary, search engines usually don’t update their indexes to the new location. This means the SEO value stays with the original URL.
• User experience: Redirects are typically seamless to users. The original URL remains accessible, ensuring users aren’t confused by permanent changes.

However, if 302s are overused or misunderstood, they can cause indexing inefficiencies or inconsistent user experiences.

SEO Implications of 302 Redirects

This is where things get tricky.

• 301 Redirects → Pass SEO value (link equity) from old to new URL.
• 302 Redirects → Typically do not pass SEO value because they’re considered temporary.

However, Google has clarified that if a 302 stays in place long enough, search engines may treat it like a 301.

Only use 302 if the redirect is truly temporary. If permanent, stick with 301.

Technical Anatomy of a 302 Response

A typical 302 response may look like this:

textHTTP/1.1 302 Found Location: <https://example.com/temporary-page> Content-Length: 0

The key part is the Location header, pointing clients to the temporary resource.

Implementing a 302 Redirect: Examples

Depending on your technology stack, here’s how to set up 302 redirects:

Apache (.htaccess)

textRedirect 302 /old-page.html <https://example.com/temporary-page>

Nginx

textlocation /old-page.html {     return 302 <https://example.com/temporary-page>; }

Express.js (Node.js)

javascriptapp.get('/old-page', (req, res) => {   res.redirect(302, '/temporary-page'); });

Best Practices When Using 302 Redirects

• Use only for truly temporary moves.
• Avoid using 302 for permanent changes this can affect SEO.
• Avoid long chains of 302 redirects; they slow down loading.
• Make sure the Location header points to a valid and accessible URL.
• Test your redirects thoroughly with tools such as Apidog.

How APIs Handle 302 Redirects

Unlike browsers, API clients don’t always automatically follow redirects.

For example:

GET /v1/resource HTTP/1.1

Response:

HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Location: /v2/resource

If the API client isn’t configured to follow redirects, it may just stop at the 302. This is why developers need to handle 302 explicitly in API code.

Testing 302 Redirects with Apidog

Managing redirects can get complex, especially when handling APIs. Testing redirects is critical to avoid SEO nightmares and broken user flows. Apidog is an invaluable tool for this.

With Apidog, you can:

1. Verify Status Code: Send a request and instantly see if the response is 302 or 301. This simple check can prevent major SEO issues.
2. Trace the Entire Chain: See the full journey of your request from the initial URL, through the 302 response, to the final 200 OK destination all in one view.
3. Test Different Methods: Use Apidog to send a POST request and see if the server responds with a 302 (which a browser might convert to GET) or a 307 (which should preserve the POST method). This helps you debug complex form submission flows.
4. Script and Automate Tests: Create a test suite that regularly checks your critical redirects to ensure temporary ones haven't become permanent by accident and that permanent ones are still returning 301.

Download Apidog for free and improve your API testing workflow to cover the full spectrum of HTTP status codes.

Common Mistakes with 302 Redirects

• Confusing 302 with 301 redirects.
• Forgetting to change to a 301 when move becomes permanent.
• Creating redirect loops.
• Misconfigured Location headers.
• Using 302 on critical pages affecting SEO unknowingly.

Troubleshooting 302 Redirects

If redirects aren’t working as expected:

• Check the response status and Location header.
• Use tools like Apidog to follow redirect chains and spot issues.
• Verify server configurations.
• Check for client-side redirect caching.

Conclusion

The HTTP 302 Found status code is a precise instrument in the web developer's toolkit. It is not a "less powerful 301" but a tool with a different, specific purpose: managing temporary change.

HTTP 302 Found is a powerful, flexible redirect status code enabling temporary resource moves while preserving SEO and usability. Using it correctly helps manage content dynamically without confusing users or servers. The 302 Found status code is a powerful tool when you need a temporary redirect. From login flows to A/B testing, it ensures smooth user experiences without permanently changing how resources are accessed.

Its power lies in its semantic meaning. It communicates to clients and search engines that the current situation is fluid and that the original address remains the canonical source of truth.

But here's the catch: 302 is often misused. Developers mistakenly use it for permanent changes, leading to SEO issues and confused clients. If you're working with APIs or web applications, it’s essential to test how your system responds to 302.

Understanding when to use a 302 (temporary), a 301 (permanent), or their modern counterparts 307 and 303 is a mark of a developer who understands the deeper language of the web. It ensures that you protect your hard-earned SEO value while providing flexible, user-friendly experiences.

So the next time you need to set up a redirect, pause and ask yourself: "Is this change permanent or temporary?" Your answer will determine the right status code to use. If you want to master working with 302 redirects and the full suite of HTTP status codes download Apidog for free. Apidog is designed to make API testing and documentation easy, so you can confidently handle redirects like a pro. Download Apidog for free today and make your redirect testing smarter and faster.