DevArbor
3xx Redirection

302 Found

What it means

A temporary redirect to the URL given in the Location header. The client should continue to use the original URL for future requests. Unlike 301, search engines don't transfer link equity. Commonly misused for permanent redirects, which can harm SEO.

Site Visitor

What can I do?

  • Your browser should follow the redirect automatically — wait a moment.
  • If you see a redirect loop, clear your browser cache and cookies, then try again.
  • Update any saved bookmarks to the new URL shown in your address bar.
Developer

How to debug & fix

  1. Don't use 302 for permanent URL changes — use 301
  2. Use 303 See Other after a POST to redirect to a GET (Post/Redirect/Get pattern)
  3. Be aware: browsers may change POST to GET on a 302 redirect
  4. Audit existing 302s to confirm none should be 301 — misuse is extremely common and hurts SEO.

Code Example

Node.js / Express
app.get('/sale', (req, res) => {
  res.redirect(302, '/sale-page-2024'); // temporary
});

Related Status Codes

301 Moved Permanently 303 307 Temporary Redirect

How HTTP Status Codes Work

Every HTTP response carries a three-digit status code that tells the client — browser, API consumer, or search-engine crawler — exactly what happened. The first digit defines the class: 1xx informational (request in progress), 2xx success, 3xx redirection, 4xx client error (bad request, missing auth, not found), and 5xx server failure.

Status codes are standardised in RFC 9110 (HTTP Semantics, 2022). Extensions like WebDAV (RFC 4918) and rate-limit headers (RFC 6585) added codes beyond the core set. When a client receives an unrecognised code, the rule is to treat it as the generic x00 of its class.

Why the Right Code Matters

Semantically correct codes help search engines index accurately (301 passes link equity; 410 removes pages faster than 404), allow API clients to implement correct retry logic (429 + Retry-After, 503 + Retry-After), and let monitoring systems distinguish bugs (500) from load issues (503) from auth failures (401/403).

Looking up a different status code? The full reference covers all HTTP codes with causes, fix guides, and copyable code examples for Node.js and Python.

Browse the full HTTP Status Code reference →

Frequently Asked Questions

What does HTTP 302 Found mean?
A temporary redirect to the URL given in the Location header. The client should continue to use the original URL for future requests. Unlike 301, search engines don't transfer link equity. Commonly misused for permanent redirects, which can harm SEO.
Is HTTP 302 the visitor's fault?
No. HTTP 302 Found is a redirect response, not an error caused by the visitor. The server is instructing the browser to go to a different URL.
How do I fix HTTP 302 Found?
Redirects are usually handled automatically by your browser. If you are stuck in a redirect loop, clear your browser cache and cookies, then try again.