What is a 301 redirect?#
“301” is the HTTP status code for Moved Permanently. When a browser or crawler requests the old URL, the server responds with 301 and the new location. Google treats a 301 as a strong signal that the target should become the canonical URL.
301 vs 302 vs 410#
| Code | Meaning | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| 301 / 308 | Permanent move | Changed URLs, merged content, domain migrations |
| 302 / 307 | Temporary move | A/B tests, short-term maintenance, seasonal pages |
| 410 | Gone | Content removed with no replacement |
When to use a 301#
- Changing a page’s slug or URL structure.
- Merging two weak articles into one strong one.
- Moving from HTTP to HTTPS or from www to non-www.
- Deleting content that has a close, relevant replacement.
Best practices#
- Redirect to the most relevant page, not the homepage. Mass redirects to the homepage are often treated as soft 404s.
- Avoid chains (A → B → C) and loops; update old redirects to point to the final destination.
- Update internal links to the new URL instead of relying on the redirect.
- Keep redirects in place long-term — at least a year, ideally permanently for URLs with backlinks.
This theme automatically 301-redirects the URLs of old posts it removes to the closest matching new article or the blog index, protecting existing links. Related: canonical tag, backlinks.