DevArbor
3xx Redirection

308 Permanent Redirect

What it means

The permanent version of 307 — the resource has permanently moved to the new URL, and the HTTP method must be preserved. Use instead of 301 when you need to permanently redirect POST or PUT requests without the client switching to GET.

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. Use 308 instead of 301 for permanent API endpoint moves involving POST/PUT/PATCH
  2. Browser support is good (IE11+ and all modern browsers)
  3. Same SEO benefit as 301 for search engines
  4. Confirm browser support is acceptable for your user base — IE11 and all modern browsers support 308.

Code Example

Node.js / Express
res.redirect(308, '/api/v2/resource');

Related Status Codes

301 Moved Permanently 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 308 Permanent Redirect mean?
The permanent version of 307 — the resource has permanently moved to the new URL, and the HTTP method must be preserved. Use instead of 301 when you need to permanently redirect POST or PUT requests without the client switching to GET.
Is HTTP 308 the visitor's fault?
No. HTTP 308 Permanent Redirect 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 308 Permanent Redirect?
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.