A 302 redirect is a type of HTTP status code that indicates a temporary redirect from one URL to another. When a user or search engine crawler requests a page with a 302 redirect, they are automatically redirected to the new URL, but the original URL remains unchanged in search engine results.
The use of 302 redirects is typically limited to temporary situations, such as:
- Testing a new page or website design before making it live
- Maintenance or updates to a website or page
- When a page is temporarily unavailable but will return to the original URL at a later time
In most cases, it is recommended to use a 301 redirect instead of a 302 redirect, as the 301 redirect indicates to both users and search engines that the redirect is permanent, and helps to maintain the search engine ranking and link equity of the original page.
Using a 302 redirect may result in a loss of search engine ranking and link equity for the original page, as search engines may treat the temporary redirect as a signal that the original page is no longer relevant or important.