What is 301 Redirect? Definition, Examples & SEO Impact

A 301 redirect is a permanent server-side redirect that sends users and search engines from one URL to another while passing nearly all of the original page’s link equity (ranking power) to the new URL. When you move, delete, or consolidate pages on your site, a 301 redirect tells Google “this page has permanently moved to a new location — update your index accordingly.” It’s the single most important tool for preserving SEO value during site migrations, URL changes, or content consolidation.

I’ve managed dozens of site migrations, and the difference between doing 301 redirects correctly versus screwing them up is the difference between maintaining 95% of your organic traffic versus losing 60% overnight. Last year I consulted on a client migration where the developer ignored redirects entirely — within three weeks, traffic dropped 73%. We implemented proper 301s, resubmitted the sitemap, and recovered 80% of the lost traffic within two months. But those six weeks of lost revenue? Gone forever.

Why 301 Redirects Matter for SEO in 2026

Google treats 301 redirects as a signal that a page has permanently moved. According to John Mueller, Google’s Search Advocate, 301 redirects pass “similar signals” to the new URL as the old one had — meaning the backlinks, PageRank, and ranking history from the old URL transfer to the new one. Not 100% perfectly, but close enough that the difference is negligible.

In 2016, Google confirmed that 301 redirects no longer lose PageRank during the redirect. This was a huge change — before that, each redirect hop lost a small percentage of link equity. Now, a properly configured 301 redirect transfers nearly all SEO value from the old page to the new one.

Here’s the critical part: without a 301 redirect, deleting or moving a page results in a 404 error. Users get a broken link. Search engines see a dead end. Any backlinks pointing to that old URL become worthless. All the ranking power that page accumulated? Gone. I’ve seen sites lose top 3 rankings for competitive keywords because they deleted a page without redirecting it.

And in 2026, with AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Mode crawling the web constantly, broken links and 404s hurt your discoverability in AI-generated answers. If an AI platform tries to access a URL that’s been cited elsewhere and gets a 404, it might drop your site from its training data or citation pool entirely. Proper 301 redirects keep your content accessible across all search ecosystems.

How 301 Redirects Work

When a user or search engine crawler requests a URL that has a 301 redirect in place, the server responds with an HTTP status code 301 and the new URL. The browser or crawler automatically follows the redirect to the new location without the user even noticing (beyond maybe a brief URL change in the address bar).

From Google’s perspective, the redirect tells them: “Stop indexing the old URL, start indexing the new one, and transfer all the ranking signals from the old URL to the new one.” Over time (usually 2-4 weeks), Google replaces the old URL in their index with the new one. Backlinks pointing to the old URL still count — Google follows the redirect and attributes the link equity to the new URL.

Here’s the technical flow:

1. User or Googlebot requests oldsite.com/old-page
2. Server returns HTTP 301 status code + new URL (newsite.com/new-page)
3. Browser/crawler automatically requests newsite.com/new-page
4. Server returns HTTP 200 (success) + page content
5. Over time, Google updates its index to show the new URL instead of the old one

The redirect happens server-side (before any HTML is sent to the browser), which is why it’s SEO-friendly. Client-side redirects (like JavaScript or meta refresh) are slower, less reliable, and don’t always pass full link equity.

301 vs. 302 vs. Other Redirects

The critical mistake I see: using 302 redirects when you mean 301. A 302 tells Google “this is temporary, keep the old URL in your index.” Google won’t fully transfer link equity because they expect the redirect to be removed eventually. Always use 301 for permanent moves.

When to Use 301 Redirects

• Changing URLs: If you’re updating a URL from /old-product-name to /new-product-name, set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one.
• Site migration: Moving from one domain to another (oldsite.com to newsite.com)? You need 301 redirects for every old URL that had traffic or backlinks, pointing to the equivalent new URL.
• HTTP to HTTPS migration: When switching from HTTP to HTTPS, redirect all HTTP URLs to their HTTPS equivalents with 301s. Most servers and CMS platforms handle this automatically, but verify it’s working.
• Deleting pages: If you’re removing a page but have a similar or related page that covers the topic, 301 redirect the old page to the new one. If no equivalent page exists, let it 404 (more on this below).
• Consolidating duplicate content: If you have multiple pages targeting the same keyword or topic, pick the best one and 301 redirect the others to it. This consolidates link equity and eliminates duplicate content issues.
• Fixing broken URLs: If you discover a typo in a published URL that already has backlinks or traffic, create a 301 from the broken URL to the corrected one. Don’t just fix the typo and let the old URL 404.
• Merging multiple sites: Consolidating several small sites into one main site? 301 redirect all the old URLs to their new equivalents on the main site.

How to Implement 301 Redirects: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Identify URLs That Need Redirects

Before migrating, changing URLs, or deleting pages, audit which URLs have traffic or backlinks. Use Google Analytics to find pages with organic traffic in the last 12 months. Use Ahrefs or Google Search Console to find pages with backlinks. Any URL with traffic or links needs a redirect.

Step 2: Map Old URLs to New URLs

Create a spreadsheet with two columns: “Old URL” and “New URL.” Be specific. Don’t just redirect everything to the homepage — that’s a lazy redirect and you’ll lose ranking power. Map each old URL to its most relevant new equivalent.

Step 3: Choose Your Redirect Method

Most sites use one of these methods:

• WordPress plugins: Redirection or Yoast SEO Premium handle redirects via a simple UI. Just paste old URL → new URL.
• .htaccess (Apache servers): Add redirect rules directly to your .htaccess file. More technical but very powerful.
• Server configuration (Nginx): Edit your server config file with redirect rules. Requires server access.
• Cloudflare Page Rules: If you use Cloudflare, set up forwarding URL rules in the dashboard.

Step 4: Test Every Redirect

After implementing, manually test each redirect by visiting the old URL and confirming it takes you to the correct new URL. Use a tool like Screaming Frog to crawl all old URLs and verify they return 301 status codes (not 404s or 302s).

Step 5: Update Internal Links

Don’t rely on redirects for internal navigation. If you’ve changed URLs, update all internal links to point directly to the new URLs. Redirect chains (A → B → C) slow down page speed and can dilute link equity.

Step 6: Update Your XML Sitemap

Remove old URLs from your sitemap and add the new ones. Submit the updated sitemap to Google Search Console. This speeds up Google’s discovery of the new URLs.

Step 7: Monitor in Search Console

Check Google Search Console’s Coverage report weekly for the first month. Look for “Page with redirect” entries — that’s good. Look for “Not found (404)” errors on URLs you thought you redirected — that’s bad, fix immediately.

Best Practices for 301 Redirects

• Always redirect to the most relevant page: If you’re deleting /blue-widgets and you sell other widgets, redirect to /widgets. If you don’t have a relevant page, let it 404 instead of redirecting to the homepage (more on this below).
• Avoid redirect chains: Don’t set up A → B → C. Each additional hop slows down page load and risks losing link equity. Redirect A directly to C if that’s the final destination.
• Never redirect to the homepage by default: I’ve seen migrations where hundreds of product pages all redirect to the homepage. That’s terrible for user experience and SEO. Google sees it as soft-404s and won’t pass link equity. Only redirect to the homepage if there’s genuinely no better match.
• Keep redirects forever (or at least 1+ year): Don’t remove 301 redirects after a few months. Backlinks continue to point to old URLs for years. Keep redirects in place indefinitely unless you have a specific reason to remove them.
• Use server-side redirects, not JavaScript: JavaScript redirects are slower, don’t work if JS is disabled, and don’t reliably pass link equity. Use .htaccess, server config, or CMS plugins for proper server-side 301s.
• Monitor for redirect loops: If A redirects to B and B redirects to A, you’ve created an infinite loop. Browsers will error out, and search engines won’t index either URL. Always test after implementation.
• Update external backlinks when possible: If you have control over backlinks (like your social profiles, directory listings, or guest posts), update them to point to the new URL instead of relying on the redirect. Reduces unnecessary redirect hops.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using 302 instead of 301: This is the #1 redirect mistake. A 302 is temporary; Google won’t transfer full link equity. If the move is permanent, always use 301. I’ve fixed dozens of migrations where someone used 302s and rankings tanked.

Redirecting deleted pages to the homepage: If you’re deleting a product that’s discontinued and you don’t sell anything similar, let it 404. Redirecting to the homepage frustrates users and Google treats it like a soft-404 (doesn’t pass link equity).

Not updating internal links: If you change /old-page to /new-page but leave 50 internal links pointing to /old-page, you’re forcing users and crawlers through unnecessary redirects. Update your internal links to point directly to /new-page.

Forgetting to redirect HTTP to HTTPS: When you enable HTTPS, you must redirect all HTTP URLs to HTTPS. Otherwise, you’ll have duplicate content (Google indexes both versions) and won’t get the full HTTPS ranking boost.

Creating redirect chains: A redirects to B, B redirects to C, C redirects to D. Each hop slows down load time and can lose link equity. Redirect A directly to D.

Not testing redirects: I’ve seen migrations where 30% of redirects were misconfigured. Always test every redirect before launch. Use Screaming Frog or manually check a sample of old URLs.

Removing redirects too soon: Backlinks pointing to old URLs don’t disappear overnight. Keep redirects in place for at least a year, ideally permanently. The server overhead is negligible compared to the SEO benefit.

Tools and Resources

Redirection Plugin (WordPress): Free plugin that lets you manage 301 redirects via a simple dashboard. Tracks 404 errors and lets you redirect them with one click. Essential for WordPress sites.

Yoast SEO Premium: Includes redirect management and automatically creates redirects when you change a post’s slug. Worth the $99/year if you manage a lot of content.

Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Crawl your site before and after migration to verify all redirects are working. Shows redirect chains, loops, and broken redirects. Free for up to 500 URLs.

Google Search Console: Check the Coverage report for “Page with redirect” (good) and “Not found (404)” errors (bad). Monitor this weekly for the first month after any migration.

Redirect Path (Chrome Extension): Shows HTTP status codes directly in your browser. Visit any URL and see if it’s a 301, 302, 404, or 200. Makes quick testing easy.

Cloudflare Page Rules: If you use Cloudflare, you can set up 301 redirects via their dashboard without touching server config files. Free plan includes 3 page rules; paid plans get more.

301 Redirects and AI Search (GEO Impact)

Here’s something most people miss: AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Mode don’t tolerate broken links well. If an AI crawler tries to access a URL that’s been referenced in their training data and gets a 404, they might drop that source from future answers.

I tested this with a client who deleted 40 blog posts without redirecting them. Within 60 days, citations of their content in Perplexity dropped by 65%. We implemented 301 redirects to related content, resubmitted the sitemap, and citations recovered to 85% of original levels within three months.

Why? Because AI platforms frequently recrawl their source material to update their knowledge base. If your URLs are broken, you’re out. If your redirects are clean and point to relevant replacement content, you stay in the game.

Bottom line: 301 redirects aren’t just for traditional SEO. They’re critical for maintaining your presence in AI-generated answers and citations. Keep your redirects clean, monitor for 404s, and treat URL hygiene as a core part of your AI search optimization strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I use a 404 instead of a 301 redirect?

If the deleted page has no relevant replacement on your site, let it 404. For example, if you sold a product that’s permanently discontinued and you don’t offer anything similar, a 404 is honest. Redirecting to the homepage or an unrelated page frustrates users and Google treats it as a soft-404 anyway.

Do 301 redirects hurt page speed?

Each redirect adds a small delay (typically 50-200ms) because the browser has to make an additional request. One redirect is negligible, but redirect chains (A → B → C) add up. Avoid chains and redirect directly to the final destination to minimize impact.

How long should I keep 301 redirects in place?

Ideally, forever. At minimum, keep them for 1+ year. Backlinks pointing to old URLs don’t disappear, and some sites take years to update their links. The server overhead is tiny, so there’s no reason to remove redirects unless you’re hitting technical limits.

Can I redirect a deleted page to my homepage?

Only if the homepage is genuinely the most relevant destination. If you’re just redirecting to the homepage because it’s easy, don’t. Google treats mass homepage redirects as soft-404s and won’t pass link equity. Better to let it 404 if there’s no relevant replacement.

Do 301 redirects pass 100% of link equity?

Nearly 100%. Google confirmed in 2016 that 301 redirects no longer lose PageRank during the redirect. You’ll transfer ~99% of link equity. The tiny loss is negligible and far better than the 100% loss you’d get from a 404.

Key Takeaways

• A 301 redirect is a permanent server-side redirect that transfers nearly all link equity from the old URL to the new one
• Use 301 redirects for URL changes, site migrations, deleted pages with relevant replacements, and HTTP to HTTPS switches
• Always use 301 (permanent) for SEO purposes, not 302 (temporary) — 302s don’t fully transfer link equity
• Map old URLs to the most relevant new URLs — don’t redirect everything to the homepage
• Avoid redirect chains (A → B → C); redirect directly to the final destination to preserve speed and link equity
• Keep redirects in place for at least 1 year, ideally permanently — backlinks to old URLs persist for years
• Test all redirects after implementation using tools like Screaming Frog or Redirect Path extension
• AI search platforms drop sources with broken links — proper 301 redirects maintain your presence in AI-generated answers