Understanding URL Redirects: 301, 302, 307 and 308 Explained
Learn how URL redirects work, understand common HTTP redirect status codes, and discover how shortened links send visitors to their destinations.
A URL redirect tells a browser or client to request a different address.
How redirects work
The browser requests a URL, the server processes it, and the response identifies another location.
Common status codes
- 301: permanent move
- 302: temporary move
- 307: temporary redirect preserving the request method
- 308: permanent redirect preserving the request method
Redirects in URL shorteners
A short-link service maps an identifier to a destination and returns a redirect when the link is opened.