301 redirect
A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect: when a browser or search engine asks for an old address, the server sends it to a new one for good. Google reads a 301 as a sign the new page should be the one shown in search. A 302 redirect is the temporary version, and Google generally keeps showing the old address.
Source: Google Search Central, Redirects and Google Search, checked October 29, 2026
What 301 redirect means for your business
Pick the code by whether you'll ever undo the move. Google's redirect guide says to use a permanent redirect when you're sure it won't be reverted, and a temporary one when you want to send people somewhere else for a while. Codes 308 and 307 are the other permanent and temporary types, and Google reads them the same way as 301 and 302.
For a site move, Google's site move guide recommends permanent redirects set up on the server and says to keep them as long as you can, generally at least a year. It also says a 301 and the other permanent redirects don't lose PageRank, Google's measure of the links pointing at a page.
The same guide says not to send lots of old addresses to the home page, since Google may treat that as a missing page, and to point each redirect straight at its final page instead of chaining them. We'd map each old address to its closest new page and check a sample live after launch. If you're about to rename pages, move to a new domain or rebuild your site, planning the move so search keeps up is something we can help with.
Last reviewed October 29, 2026. All terms
How AI answers it today
On October 29, 2026, Google's AI Overview defined a 301 as a permanent move and cited Google's redirect guide, a web standards reference, Wikipedia, YouTube and web host blogs, without mentioning 302s. ChatGPT gave a similar answer with a 301 versus 302 table and no sources.
Our run through ChatGPT and Google's AI Overview, October 29, 2026. A sample, not what every buyer sees.
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