When to Use 302 Temporary Redirects (and When NOT to Use Them)
An HTTP 302 status code signals that the resource has temporarily moved to a different address. Search engine algorithms maintain the original URL in their search index because they expect the redirect to expire.
Common mistakes occur when developers use 302 redirects for permanent site redesigns or domain migrations. Because 302 does not promptly pass link authority, rankings can drop dramatically until corrected to permanent 301 redirects.
Server Configurations for Temporary 302 Redirects
Apache (.htaccess) 302 Rules
# Temporary promotion redirect (302)
Redirect 302 /sale /summer-promo-2026
# Maintenance mode rewrite
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !/maintenance.html$
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ /maintenance.html [R=302,L]Nginx (nginx.conf) 302 Directives
# Temporary A/B variant redirect
location = /signup {
return 302 https://example.com/signup-v2;
}
# Geotargeting redirect
if ($geoip_country_code = "GB") {
return 302 https://uk.example.com;
}Frequently Asked Questions About 302 Redirects
What is an HTTP 302 Found redirect status code?
An HTTP 302 Found status code indicates that the requested URL temporarily resides under a different URI. Because the relocation is temporary, clients and search crawlers must continue using the original URL for future requests.
How does a 302 redirect impact SEO rankings compared to a 301?
Search engines keep the original URL indexed when encountering a 302 redirect, since it assumes the redirect will be removed. In contrast to 301 redirects, link equity (PageRank) is not immediately transferred to the destination URL. If a permanent migration accidentally uses 302 redirects, ranking signals can remain stuck on old pages.
When is using a 302 temporary redirect appropriate?
302 redirects are appropriate for seasonal promotional campaigns, scheduled maintenance pages, A/B split-testing variants, and temporary user geotargeting based on IP location or device type.
What happens if a 302 redirect is left active for months or years?
If search engines detect that a 302 redirect remains unchanged over a prolonged period, algorithms like Googlebot may begin treating it as an unintentional permanent redirect, eventually passing link signals and indexing the destination URL.
Does a 302 redirect change the HTTP request method?
Historically, many web clients and browsers improperly changed the request method from POST to GET upon encountering a 302 status code. If your API requires strictly preserving the original POST or PUT method during a temporary redirect, HTTP 307 should be used instead.